Bamboo Kids

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children enter the nursery confidently. They are motivated and eagerly take part in a good overall range of engaging play opportunities. Babies and toddlers curiously explore the slimy texture of sensory media. Children aged two delight in investigating vegetables during a painting activity. Children in the pre-school room show great focus when creating shapes with dough. They delight in singing number songs such as 'five green bottles', which staff make fun using visual aids to support simple subtraction.

Staff engaged with families to support children's continued progress during the COVID-19 (coronavirus) national lockdowns. They delivered activity packs, shared activity ideas via messaging apps and provided care packages and 'grab and go' food bags. Staff also asked parents to share observations and discussed how they could build on learning. Although children returned happily, staff noted that children needed support to become familiar with the nursery routines and boundaries. They placed a strong emphasis on this, which is proving very successful.

Children respond readily to staff requests, such as tidying up. They are kind and respectful, and readily share resources while playing amicably with friends. Staff nurture children and babies through their warm and caring interactions, which helps them to feel safe and secure. Children enjoy doing things for themselves, showing good independence.

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

• Children, including those in receipt of funding or those who have additional needs, make good progress and develop foundations for future learning. Staff provide stimulating indoor and outdoor learning environments and a generally well-planned curriculum. This is informed by staff's knowledge of children's level of development and home experiences. For example, staff create innovative small-world sensory activities, share pictures and read stories to give children new knowledge of a farm. They expand children's understanding of the world, for instance through visiting a Chinese supermarket.
• Staff quickly identify and support children with a development delay, including children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Staff work closely with other professionals and children receive one-to-one support. They access a cosy, calming sensory area as part of this.
• Although parents are not yet entering nursery, staff work closely with them to meet children's needs. For example, they share learning intentions for children and suggest ideas for cost effective home-learning activities, such as a scavenger hunt. Staff also adapted their usual graduation day celebrations when children left for school, setting this up outdoors.
• Overall, staff support children's early language development well, for instance through reading lots of stories, singing and conversations. Staff also use sign language to support children with communication difficulties. However, the baby room staff do not always maximise opportunities to create a language-rich environment during care routines and adult-planned sensory play.
• Children have good physical skills, which supports their future literacy well. Babies pull themselves to standing and staff warmly encourage them to take steps. Toddlers confidently crawl up wooden steps in the baby room and two-year-olds grasp vegetables and toy cars to dip in paint and make marks. Children in the pre-school room use dough tools competently and thread with interesting items, such as sticks of uncooked spaghetti and circular cereals.
• Staff provide ample opportunities for children to learn about being healthy. For example, the nursery takes part in a fluoride varnish programme and children harvest fruit and vegetables, to cook with or make smoothies. Children in the pre-school room have immense fun with staff while engaging in action songs.
• Children have secure emotional attachments to staff, through individually tailored settling-in arrangements. Staff video and take photographs during settling-in sessions to share with parents. Staff gather useful information to support children starting the out-of-school club. This is especially useful where children have not previously attended the nursery.
• The management team continues to develop and embed systems for reflecting on and improving practice, including through identifying staff's training needs. Parents share their views, for instance through questionnaires that also ask for children's views. Children in the pre-school room and out-of-school club share activity ideas.
• Children behave well. They show great concentration during activities and are proud to share their achievements.
• Staff establish highly effective partnerships with other early years settings that children attend. However, they do not share precise information with Reception staff to fully support children's transition where they attend the out-of-school club.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support staff in the baby room to maximise opportunities to create a language-rich environment, to support children's early communication skills to the highest level
• strengthen information sharing with Reception staff, to promote greater continuity in children's individual care and to complement the experiences they receive.