Banana Moon Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children run into this welcoming nursery, excited to start their day and separate happily from their parents. Nurturing staff help babies settle by being responsive and attentive to their needs. Staff gather information from parents when children start and use it to plan a variety of engaging and stimulating activities. As a result, children quickly choose and participate in activities upon arrival. For example, toddlers use spoons to scoop up cornflour into cups. Older children practise using scissors to cut around pictures. This supports children's fine motor skills, which is needed for later writing skills.

Staff use regular observations and assessments to identify what children need to learn next. They quickly recognise if children need any additional support. Staff work with parents to create targeted plans so that there is continuity between home and the nursery. As a result, all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), make good progress.

The setting uses a consistent approach to managing behaviour, focusing on positive reinforcement and clear expectations. Staff model appropriate behaviour, such as taking turns. They use visual pictures to remind the children of the 'Golden Rules' across all of the rooms. This helps children in understanding boundaries. Staff praise children when they share. As a result, children's self-belief and self-esteem grows, and they behave well.

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

• The nursery values and supports children's home languages by gathering key words from parents, including the correct pronunciation to be used. Staff use children's home languages in daily routines. For example, they sing songs and read stories in different languages to create an inclusive environment. Children enjoy sharing words for different things in their home languages. This celebrates diversity and ensures children feel valued in their language development.
• Parents know who their child's key person is and say that they appreciate the communication from the nursery. Parents state that they are informed of staff changes. However, although there is a key-person buddy system in place, not all parents and staff are aware of the arrangements for when a key person is not in the room. As a result, some children may not receive consistent support when their key person is absent.
• The nursery has an on-site chef who prepares nutritious meals with no added salt or sugar. Dietary needs and allergies are managed through clear signage, plans and staff awareness. Colour-coded plates and regular checks with the chef help prevent cross-contamination. Parents' preferences and weaning stages are respected to ensure appropriate meals are provided. This creates a safe, inclusive environment.
• Staff encourage independence by giving children opportunities to do tasks for themselves while offering support when needed. For example, toddlers are encouraged to try dressing themselves with assistance. Children help themselves to paint and pour this into trays independently to explore mixing colours. This approach helps children build perseverance and resilience.
• Staff promote healthy habits by discussing the effects of sugar on teeth and emphasising the importance of brushing teeth. They also encourage children to share healthy foods during show-and-tell. These actions help children develop an early understanding of oral hygiene and healthy eating, supporting the development of positive habits.
• Children take part in a range of movement-based activities, including running, jumping, stretching, climbing and balancing, both inside and outside. This supports children's coordination, core strength, and spatial awareness. Staff promote safe risk-taking by modelling movements and guiding children to use their bodies with confidence and safely.
• Staff support children's communication and language development well. Babies enjoy songs with props and interactive elements like bubbles. Staff re-enact stories such as 'The Bear Hunt', and children delight in taking on a role in the story. Staff engage children in conversation as they take part in care-routines like changing nappies. This helps children develop their language skills.
• Leaders and managers obtain and act on views from parents, staff, and children through various methods. They use this feedback to make changes to the setting. For example, staff worked collaboratively to plan changes to the garden. Leaders and managers review feedback from parent questionnaires and share how they will use these views to plan continuous improvements.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• review and enhance information sharing between staff so that all staff can continue to support children's learning and provide a consistent approach when their key person is absent.