Becket Hall Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children benefit greatly from a warm and inviting environment. They happily enter the nursery and quickly explore the resources on offer, making decisions about their play with confidence. Children form strong attachments with familiar staff, who know them well and tailor the curriculum to support their interests and individual needs. Children feel emotionally secure, especially when they move between rooms and receive the reassurance they need to feel confident to explore.

Children behave well and understand the 'golden rules'. They receive support to be calm and re-engage in their learning from knowledgeable staff. Older children keenly respond to questions as they listen to a familiar and chosen story. They are excited when staff show interest in their ideas and recall when they had an ice cream like the tiger. Young children fully engage in a retelling of 'The Gruffalo' using spoons and puppets, reciting the familiar phrases.

Children love to be active. Those just learning to stand enjoy reaching and pulling themselves up. They know their familiar person is close by and turn and point when they need help to reach their ball. As children play outside, they develop their strength while moving in different ways. Children manoeuvre themselves safely on the balance bikes, knowing which direction to travel and that they need to stop at the zebra crossing. Children are supportive of their friends and kindly swap balance bikes, receiving praise. Young children enjoy climbing on the tyres and walking along the wooden planks, balancing well. Children show interest in the sounds around them. For example, they lie on the floor to listen to the leaves as they move in the wind.

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

• The provider supports staff well to develop a well-planned curriculum. Staff are secure in their knowledge of children and how they learn best, adapting the curriculum to meet all children's needs successfully. Staff use regular assessment, including learning stories, to monitor children's progress and identify any gaps in their learning. They work closely with parents to identify when additional support may be needed and work alongside other professionals to access specific funding.
• Staff gather essential information from parents when children first start at the nursery and review it regularly, particularly for the youngest children. This means that staff can meet children's individual care and learning needs successfully. Staff frequently provide parents with updates about children's learning and daily routines. They offer ideas to support children's learning at home. For example, there are a wealth of books and activities for parents to borrow, such as 'story at home' bags.
• On the whole, staff interactions with children are good, and children are well supported to make the progress of which they are capable. For example, staff demonstrate how to use tools for children to copy and practise in their chosen way. Children handle scissors safely as they cut the dough and manipulate it into different shapes. However, staff do not always use effective questioning to encourage children to think of solutions, and provide answers to quickly.
• Children gain good independence. For example, older children serve their lunch, pour their drinks and scrape their plates when finished. Children relish the opportunity to help. For example, they clean the tables and show pride in their achievements.
• Staff are respectful and give children a five-minute warning so they can finish their play. Staff are clear about expectations, helping even the youngest children to tidy away. Staff repeat expectations, such as reminding children about quiet spaces and offering an alternative space to play instruments. However, on occasion, staff do not consider the impact on children's attention and concentration when preparing for outdoor play, which can be disruptive.
• Leaders and managers guide staff well, in particular to build the skills of new and less-experienced staff. Leaders and managers regularly support staff in the rooms, modelling effective practice and reviewing observations and assessments. They have a good overview of what works well in the nursery and use Bristol Standards to constantly evaluate the provision. They know what is needed to raise the quality of children's experiences even further, such as ensuring that outdoor practices keep children safe and are consistently implemented.
• There are effective recruitment and induction arrangements to ensure that staff are suitable for their role, and remain so. All staff understand their responsibilities to record and report any concerns they may have that a child is at risk of harm to ensure that the children remain safe.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• review the organisation of quieter group activities to support children's listening and attention, without disruption.