Be Me Day Nursery Ridgmont Road

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Leaders and staff create a warm and nurturing environment, where children feel safe and valued. Children form secure attachments through a well-established key-person system, which supports their well-being and fosters their growing independence. Staff develop a strong understanding of children in their care. They take time to learn about each child's preferences, routines at home and build on early observations. As a result, children feel safe, valued and they thrive in the setting, which supports positive behaviour.

Children flourish through an ambitious, well-structured curriculum, carefully designed by leaders to reflect their interests and foster a love for books. Staff enhance this through stimulating, hands-on experiences that spark curiosity and inspire learning. For example, children show great enthusiasm as they mix food colouring to create new colours while making play dough, and they delight in playing 'guess the smell' as they explore different essences.

Leaders and staff work closely with outside professionals to ensure all children, including children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), receive the support they need. All children make good progress in this vibrant and inclusive learning environment.

Children interact cooperatively throughout the setting, and their behaviour is consistently good. Staff set high expectations for conduct, demonstrating positive behaviours themselves and guiding children to understand right from wrong. This approach is evident in the children's respectful attitudes and positive behaviour.

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

• Staff place a strong emphasis on developing communication and literacy skills throughout the setting. Babies benefit from a running commentary and simple questions that support their early language development, while older children are encouraged to explore ideas and explain their thinking. All children engage with a 'book of the month', which is supported by a range of thoughtfully planned, multisensory activities to extend learning. Staff consistently engage in conversations with children, which supports both language acquisition and cognitive growth. On some occasions, staff do not give children sufficient time to process and respond to questions before staff move on or provide the answer. This limits opportunities for children to practise and demonstrate their newly acquired language and understanding.
• Children are encouraged to express their preferences and opinions in meaningful ways, with staff actively listening to and valuing their voices. For example, children vote for the 'book of the month' and help decide on future topics to explore. This inclusive approach boosts their confidence and self-esteem and helps them develop an early understanding of democratic values.
• Children enjoy a healthy lifestyle through daily outdoor play, engaging in fresh air and physical activities that support their well-being. They ride wheeled toys, make 'spinach soup' in the mud kitchen and create a car wash while out in the garden. Children enjoy freshly prepared nutritious meals and snacks each day, catering to individual dietary needs.
• Music is used by all staff to support language development, help children to regulate their behaviour and to enhance listening skills. However, there are occasions when too much adult talk can reduce children's chances to listen attentively, think independently and express their own ideas.
• Children's independence and confidence are a central focus across the setting. From the earliest stages, staff actively encourage children to take initiative and do things on their own. For example, babies attempt to serve themselves vegetables at lunchtime, toddlers pour their own water and children in the pre-school room change their clothes themselves for PE. As a result, children are well prepared for the next stage in their education.
• Leaders build strong relationships with parents. Staff make effective use of drop off and collection times to share important information about each child. Parents are actively involved in their children's learning and development, helping to ensure a consistent approach between home and nursery that supports ongoing progress and well-being. Parents speak positively about the staff, expressing gratitude for the support provided and valuing the regular updates on their child's development.
• Leaders are passionate about early education and view their dedicated staff as the setting's greatest strength. They offer professional and personal support, and staff speak highly of the setting, describing it as a special place to work and expressing gratitude for a leadership team that truly values and respects them.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support staff in how they communicate with children during activities so that children can concentrate and listen attentively and so staff can provide time for children to process information and respond.