Beacon Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are happy in this bright, spacious and well-organised nursery. As children and parents arrive, they are welcomed into the building by staff members that greet them enthusiastically. Staff take time to talk to parents and children so that they can share news about home life or important events, such as holidays. During the COVID-19 pandemic, only one parent was allowed to enter the setting at a time. However, this has not prevented staff from forming strong and friendly relationships with parents and carers.

Children are eager to join in the activities available to them and mix happily with their friends. Older children explore a spacious indoor play area in which they paint at the easel, read books or role play being doctors in their 'hospital'. Children practise their balancing skills along the indoor apparatus with the support of the attentive staff who allow them to take risks safely, or are there to help if needed. Children are therefore developing confidence in their physical ability.

Children's behaviour is good because they have strong relationships with staff who know them well. Staff are sensitive to very young children's emotions and help them resolve any conflicts by suggesting sharing a toy or adding more resources so that all can take part in the activity.

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

• Staff know children well and know what they want them to learn next, such as being able to identify colours or recognise numbers. They provide a range of activities to help them do this. However, at times, these activities are not sufficiently well focused or well organised enough to allow the learning outcomes intended to be achieved to the highest level.
• The nursery focuses on keeping children safe and healthy by providing nutritious meals and encouraging good hygiene, such as handwashing and tooth brushing. However, staff do not always discuss the reasons why this is necessary with children. Therefore, children do not always learn why these things are important for their future well-being.
• Staff communicate well with children, having meaningful conversations at mealtimes with them about their plans for the weekend. They talk about holidays and why certain places, such as Turkey, are too far to walk to. Staff model language well and children are therefore confident to try new words and sounds.
• Relationships with parents are a particular strength at this nursery. Parents feel well informed and involved in their children's learning. Daily discussions with their children's key person and effective use of a digital communication app keep parents up to date on their children's time at nursery. Parents comment that since arriving at nursery their children have developed their self-confidence. Consequently, they are thriving.
• Staff and managers have effective systems for identifying the support needed by children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. They are able to devise and implement targeted education programmes to help these children make good progress. They also work well with other agencies, such as social services or speech therapists, meaning that the families of these children feel fully supported and engaged in their children's learning.
• The nursery has a strong focus on supporting children from a wide variety of cultures and backgrounds. Songs and rhymes are sung in different languages and different festivals are celebrated and explored. This promotes an inclusive learning environment where all feel welcome and respected.
• Regular reviews of children's learning, particularly those in receipt of additional funding, allow staff and managers to identify resources that will help these children engage more deeply in their learning. For example, large fluorescent numbers are used to encourage children to engage in their mathematical development.
• Managers have a clear understanding of what they want to improve at the nursery and staff feel well supported in their professional development. Effective appraisals and supervision meetings identify areas for development and opportunities for training.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support staff to sharply focus and organise activities to provide children with the highest level of learning opportunities and outcomes
• enhance opportunities for children to learn the importance of health and hygiene routines in place at the nursery.