Banana Moon Day Nursery Edgbaston

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The emotional security of children is a high priority at this warm and welcoming nursery. Children form close bonds with the kind and caring staff who look after them. Children arrive excitedly to start their day. They benefit from a wealth of resources and activities set up in the nursery playrooms and garden. Children behave very well. They develop independence as they choose activities, tidy away toys, and serve their own meals.

Children develop strong physical skills. Staff skilfully support babies to progress from sitting to crawling and then walking. Babies stand and hold staff members' hands as they make sounds, babble and sing. Older children enjoy catching, kicking and throwing balls outside. They build and balance using tyres. Small muscle-skills are developing. Babies have fun using their hands and fingers to explore pots, pans and utensils in trays of coloured rice. Older children manipulate dough with their hands and show increasing skill using tools, such as scissors, rollers and cutters. Children are imaginative and creative. They role play in the home corner areas, pretending to go shopping and making meals and drinks for their friends. Outside children create faces using stones, leaves, and twigs from the garden.

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

• Leaders ensure that staff follow a clear and sequenced curriculum in each nursery age group. Staff know children very well. They carry out regular observations and assessments of children's learning. Staff plan activities and experiences focused on what children need to learn next. As a result, children make good progress in their learning.
• Staff help children to learn the behavioural expectations of the nursery. Children share and take turns with resources.
• Staff benefit from regular training, coaching and supervision. Leaders identify that focusing the professional development of staff on raising the quality of teaching even further will lead to more consistent high-quality interactions.
• Overall, teaching is good. Staff encourage children to join in singing songs and engage in conversation. However, on occasions, staff do not give children enough time to think and respond to questions to fully enhance their communication skills.
• Staff support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities well. They work closely with other agencies and professionals to implement targeted learning and development plans. As a result, these children make good progress from their starting points.
• Staff use good strategies to support children who speak English as an additional language. They use simple sign language and visual prompts. Staff also learn key words in children's home languages to help promote communication skills.
• Some staff can converse in several different languages. This helps staff to support children and share information with parents.
• Parents are highly complimentary about the nursery. They comment that staff 'go above and beyond' and that key staff are their 'rock'. Parents talk about the overwhelming support they receive from the manager and staff. They say that staff provide a thorough handover and exchange of information through daily conversations and electronic communications. Parents receive effective support to build on children's learning at home.
• Staff support children to develop healthy lifestyle habits. They provide nutritious meals and snacks throughout the day. Children talk confidently about healthy food. They know that fruit and vegetables are good for them. Children benefit from plenty of fresh air and exercise.
• Staff support children to learn about and respect difference. They teach children that they are all unique and have different backgrounds. For example, as some children celebrate Eid al-Adha, staff teach other children what this means. Flags from different countries are displayed to represent family's origins.
• Personal and emotional support is strong. Leaders ensure that the well-being of children, parents and staff lie at the heart of this provision. Children who are new to the setting attend gradual settling-in sessions and receive nurturing support from their new key person. There is a well-being coordinator for staff to provide ongoing advice and support. Parents are invited to attend meetings and workshops. For example, a recent workshop provided advice and support for keeping safe in relationships.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• increase support and training for staff to develop their teaching skills to a consistently high level, with particular regard to enhancing children's communication and language skills at an even faster rate.