Barncliffe Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are inspired to learn and explore in this child-centred and stimulating nursery. The nurturing staff put children's needs and interests at the heart of everything they do. Children enjoy choosing from the range of exciting experiences on offer each day. For example, staff help children to bake biscuits with friends, or encourage them to explore the ice and frost that they find in the outdoor play area. These well-thought-out experiences build on what children already know and can do and help them to make progress towards their development goals.

Children are intrigued as they play with real-life objects, such as ceramic tea pots and hair rollers. Staff are enthusiastic in their approach and show genuine care and interest in supporting children's development. For example, they promote children's interest to learn by saying 'let's investigate'. Consequently, all children become deeply involved in their play and learning and develop their sense of wonder and imagination.

Children behave extremely well towards each other and the adults who work in the nursery. They show a remarkable understanding of the nursery rules, as staff explain how these help to keep them safe. Children are proud when they 'beat the timer' and tidy the resources away quickly. They receive special stickers and high levels of praise from staff for their achievements. This motivates children to always behave well and make good choices about their behaviour.

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

• Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) receive outstanding levels of support. Leaders and staff build excellent partnerships with parents and health professionals, such as physiotherapists. Staff receive specialist training that helps them to provide exemplary care and support for children with SEND. The nursery is extremely inclusive. Leaders and staff plan special fundraising events to raise awareness and funds for causes that are important to the children and families who attend the nursery. This teaches children empathy and helps them to learn about the differences they may share with others.
• Staff talk to children about how they can keep themselves safe and healthy. They respond quickly with kindness and love to children's emotional needs. This ensures that staff build wonderfully caring relationships with children, which in turn, helps children to feel emotionally secure.
• Babies and toddlers hear staff use simple words and sentences to support their understanding. They repeat newly learned words and join in with familiar songs and rhymes. Staff expertly join in with older children's play. They enhance children's learning with appropriate conversation and questions. These meaningful and purposeful interactions promote children's communication and language skills.
• Children benefit from regular opportunities to hear and use numbers. For example, staff help them to count to 10 as they wait to see whether a block of ice has melted in their hands. Staff ask the children to count how many plates they need to put on the table at lunchtime. Children explore numbers in a real-world situation, such as using a tape measure to find out how tall their friends are. This promotes children's mathematical development.
• When children are ready to move rooms in the nursery, staff take them for transition visits to help them settle. Staff share detailed information about children and their development with their new key person. They invite teachers from children's new schools to visit the children in the nursery. Staff provide school uniforms to help children to understand what to expect when they start school. This thoughtful approach ensures that children are well prepared for the next stage in their education.
• Parents and carers commend the nursery leaders and staff for the time that they spend getting to know their children. Parents receive daily photos via the nursery app to help them know what their children are learning in the nursery. They receive suggestions of activities that they can do at home to build on children's learning in the nursery.
• The knowledgeable manager works closely with staff and children. This ensures that she is able to provide excellent support for staff when planning for children's next steps in learning. Staff receive dedicated time to attend team meetings and opportunities for targeted professional development. Leaders place a strong focus on team-building and staff well-being. As a result, the nursery has in place a highly effective team of staff, who provide exceptional support for children to achieve positive outcomes.