Battle Abbey Nursery Baby Room

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Staff are highly attentive towards the babies' needs and provide a nurturing, homely environment. They follow care routines which have been carefully considered and agreed with parents. Babies enjoy having close, yet safe, contact with the older children in the other parts of the nursery. They delight in seeing their siblings and friends who run to the fence to wave and say hello at specific times of the day. Staff are conscientious and have high expectations of every child. They ensure every baby is safe and is challenged to their full potential. Babies make good progress in their learning and development. Babies form close attachments to the staff who look after them. They snuggle up to staff when they need comfort and emotional reassurance. Babies are beginning to show interest and curiosity in the activities they choose. Parents are currently unable to come into the nursery following the pandemic. However, staff work hard to ensure the drop-off time is a calm one for both baby and parents. Familiar staff are ready to greet the babies and help them to happily separate and say goodbye. Following the third national lockdown, babies have quickly settled back into the nursery routine. Staff have worked closely with parents to devise a personal programme of settling-in visits. Parents say how much they appreciate this and do not feel rushed to leave their baby until they feel ready.

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

• Babies make good progress in their learning and development. When they first start, staff carefully assess what each baby can already do and what they need to learn next. Staff consistently work closely with parents. This helps the key person plan a suitable range of learning experiences that each baby is interested in and will offer relevant challenge. Staff help babies to develop new skills as they continually make progress. Any gaps in learning are quickly closed. For example, since reopening after the third national lockdown, staff have focused on supporting babies' physical development. They bought new equipment which encourages children to climb and move in a variety of ways. Babies who are not yet walking are now starting to pull themselves up as they explore these resources. They are learning to stand and balance in preparation for moving independently.
• Staff support babies' language development well. They talk to babies and encourage them to repeat words. They help babies to communicate their needs clearly using signing. For example, babies communicate 'more please' at mealtimes with both words and signs. Staff share the signs with parents so this learning can continue at home.
• Babies develop good social skills. They show they are happy at nursery as they are excited for new activities and their favourite resources. They learn the names of their friends and will often repeat these at home. This demonstrates the positive relationships babies are forming with one another. Staff encourage babies to become increasingly independent. For example, they provide plenty of activities that encourage babies to develop good manipulative skills. Babies grip chunky pens and delight in making marks on paper. These activities help babies develop good hand-to-eye coordination. This helps them manage well with simple tasks, such as feeding themselves.
• Leadership and management are good. The nursery manager is highly respected by both parents and staff. She is a very hands-on leader and regularly works in the room to model good practice. She has high expectations of her staff and leads by example. The school's senior leadership team also promotes the nursery's development and provides strong management support. The governing body acts as a 'critical friend' and helps the nursery manager review what is working well and identify future areas for improvement. There is strong provision across the nursery to promote staff well-being, particularly following the pandemic. Leaders make themselves available to staff at any time and there is access to professional counselling and advice.
• Teaching is consistently good. However, very occasionally, staff change activities too quickly and do not provide babies with enough time to explore in more detail.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• further improve teaching to help staff recognise how to support babies in developing deeper levels of interest, focus and curiosity.