Bacton Under Fives

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children eagerly wave goodbye to their parents when greeted by the incredibly nurturing staff who know the children and parents so well. Staff have worked hard since their last inspection, to provide stimulating and engaging indoor and outdoor learning environment. They ignite children's fascination with the world around them. Neutral tones contribute to a calming atmosphere and the environment is now organised in a way that meets the needs of all children. Staff provide resources and activities around their interests, which means children are highly motivated and curious learners. Children enjoy dressing up as their favourite book character, joyously expressing themselves to music and making friendships.

Children are receiving consistently good-quality learning experiences across the nursery. A robust key-person system and regular assessments, means staff are effectively planning for children's individual next steps in learning. For instance, babies and children have endless opportunities to develop their physical skills. Through sensory activities, such as play dough and filling and pouring water into different containers, they develop strength in their hands to support their early writing skills. Children are extremely well-behaved. Staff consistently implement strategies to support their understanding of daily routines. When staff shake the tambourine, children stop and listen because they know what is expected of them.

What does the early years setting do well and what does it need to do better?

• The management committee and staff have worked hard to address the weaknesses raised at the last two inspections. They have worked closely with the local authority and implemented their advice well. They now have a clear outlook for the nursery's curriculum and ensure that all staff share and implement this vision. Consequently, children are making good progress in all areas of learning.
• Staff appreciate how the management committee play an active role in the day- to-day running of the nursery. This helps identify staff's training needs and their good role modelling helps improve the quality of teaching. The management team and the staff have completed a wide range of training and use their new knowledge well. Staff report excellent well-being.
• Staff follow children's lead to further their learning. For example, when children pick up a pretend spider off the shelf, staff intuitively introduce different size cardboard tubes. Children are extending their knowledge and thinking skills as they start to predict which tubes the spider will fit through. Staff introduce mathematic concepts, such as 'bigger' and 'smaller', that children start using to explain size and shape through their play. However, occasionally, staff do not always consider how they implement group activities to ensure younger children can remain focused and achieve their best learning outcomes.
• Babies and children develop a love of reading. Staff use books and plan activities around them that encompass the seven area of learning. Throughout the nursery, children regularly choose to sit and read a book for fun, independently or with others. As a result, children are broadening their knowledge, creativity and speech and language development. When staff have any concerns about delays in children's speech, they offer communication support groups and seek advice from relevant agencies.
• Children show respect for each other and spontaneously display kind behaviours. Staff provide consistent and meaningful praise for these actions, motivating children to repeat these positive behaviours.
• There are improvements in the way mealtimes are organised. Toddlers thrive as they sit with their peers at the table, making mealtimes a sociable event and they practise using their spoon and fork to eat. Occasionally, staff do not ensure that snack time is consistently effective in supporting all children to consolidate good eating habits and become increasingly independent in their self-care needs.
• Children feel a sense of belonging, when choosing a weekly book to take home in their book bag. Parents report how this promotes further learning at home. Additionally, parents say they are extremely happy with daily communication they receive about their child's day. They applaud the dedicated staff who they say build trusting and caring attachments with their children.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• build on already good teaching and help staff to consider the arrangements for group activities to ensure all children remain focused and fully engaged in their learning
• support staff to deliver consistent mealtime routines that encourage children's independence in managing their self-care needs.