Banana Moon Day Nursery Billericay

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are happy and confident in the nursery. As they arrive, staff encourage them to hang up their coats and bags on their pegs. Children have strong bonds with staff, who know them well. Children readily lead their own play and learning. For instance, children move freely to and from the garden throughout the day.

Children are learning how to keep themselves safe. They decide that they are going to make a football pitch in the garden. Staff encourage children to think about the space that they have and how they can make it easier for them to move around without tripping over the resources. Children and staff work together as they move the tyres to create an area for a football pitch. Children run up and down, kicking the ball and shouting 'goal' as it hits the wall.

Children generally behave well. Staff calmly and sensitively remind older children of the 'golden rules' of the nursery. Children confidently explain to visitors how they can move up a colour on the behaviour chart if they make 'good choices'. They share examples of bad choices, such as not sharing toys. As a result, children are learning to develop a sense of right and wrong.

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

• The experienced manager has a clear vision for all children, which she shares with her team. She works closely with staff, modelling good practice. Staff are provided with training opportunities to develop their skills and knowledge. However, on occasion, room leaders do not have the confidence to direct their team and, as a result, do not always act promptly, when needed, to meet the needs of some children.
• Older children follow a broad curriculum, which is sequenced to build on what they already know. This is adaptive to their interests. For example, when children show an interest in skeletons, staff adapt plans to continue this learning. Staff discuss the different bones in the body on an X-ray. They introduce new words into children's vocabulary, such as 'clavicle'. They explain to children that this is also known as a 'collar bone'. This helps children to broaden their vocabulary further.
• Children confidently share their experiences with staff, who listen intently. For example, when children are completing a bug hunting activity, they tell staff about times they have found bugs in their garden at home, with one child who recalls finding a caterpillar. They delight when they find some bugs and proudly show their friends.
• Older children enjoy being physically active. They independently put on their wellington boots before going into the garden. Children develop their large muscles as they use the ride-on toys, kick a ball and delight in jumping up and down in puddles. They practise their balancing skills as they line up small tyres and use them as stepping stones. However, staff working with younger children do not deploy themselves effectively around the environment to support children's learning. For example, to allow children access to the climbing frame and enable them to practise their physical skills.
• The key-person system is effective. Staff gather information from parents when their children start at the nursery to understand what they already know and can do. The special educational needs coordinator works well in partnership with parents and outside professionals to ensure that those children who need additional support receive it. This means that all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, make good progress in their learning.
• Partnerships with parents are positive. They value the feedback that they receive from staff through an online platform. Parents appreciate the support and advice staff offer them and feel that staff know their children well. Parents reflect that management has kept them well informed of staffing changes, so they are able to prepare their children.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support staff to develop the skills and confidence they need to carry out their responsibilities effectively
• help staff to deploy themselves effectively to meet children's needs and support their well-being and learning.