Beech House Nursery School Limited

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children who attend this setting thrive. They make exceptional progress from their initial starting points. The key-person system is securely embedded in practice. From the moment children arrive, they are warmly greeted by staff ,who have an in-depth knowledge of their individual interests and personal care needs. Staff interactions with children are consistently of a high quality. They go above and beyond to ensure every child is happy, settled and eager to explore the rich and varied learning environment. Staff are highly perceptive to what children need to learn at each stage of their development. They plan a vast range of innovative activities that successfully foster children's interest and curiosity. As a result, children are highly motivated and eager to learn new experiences.

Children's behaviour is exemplary. Staff teach them to be respectful of others and to recognise when their friends may need a little extra support. Children eagerly ask their friends to join in with their play and they cooperate to complete tasks. From an early age, staff introduce techniques, such as breathing exercises, to help children to regulate their own emotions. Staff skilfully weave emotions into daily activities and routines. For example, when younger children paint, they talk to them about the colours and help them to remember how they link to the emotions in a familiar book about a colour monster.

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

• The setting benefits from a forward thinking and highly skilled leadership team. They are passionate about providing the very best care and learning for the children in their care. Leaders recognise and value staff's individual expertise and build on this to enrich their knowledge and understanding. Staff have copious opportunities to enhance their professional development and to be involved in the decision-making processes. For example, as they sit on a board of leaders.
• The curriculum is unique to the setting. It is purposefully planned and wholly embedded into practice. Leaders successfully monitor staff practice to ensure that it is exemplary. Staff prepare showcase days, where they share their innovative activity ideas with leaders. This enhances the already superb quality of teaching and learning that children receive.
• Children's communication and language skills are given high priority. Staff continually model language and engage children in conversations. They recognise opportunities to introduce new words as children play, such as 'droplet', and explain to children when words have different meanings, such as 'poke' and 'poky'. Staff use songs, familiar rhymes and repetition to support language in babies and younger children. As a result, all children are confident communicators.
• Children of all ages develop a love of books. Younger children look at pictures as staff talk to them about what they can see. Older children learn to follow the words in their own book as they listen to a story. They know that the person who writes the book is the author and that the illustrator draws the pictures. They recognise rhyming words, such as 'jug' and 'rug', and enthusiastically join in with familiar refrains. Leaders have introduced a library for children to choose books to take home and read with their families to further enhance their literacy experiences.
• The curriculum children experience outdoors is rich and varied and enhances all aspects of their learning and development. Children especially relish the time they spend in the forest school. They learn about nature and know that the roots of the trees grow down into the soil and that the trunk of the tree grows upwards. Staff teach children how to keep themselves safe. Children know that they do not touch the stinging nettles and staff remind them to be careful as they climb and balance on logs.
• Staff skilfully use intonation and expression when they explain activities to children. This gains children's unwavering interest and helps to develop their concentration and listening skills. Children are inspired to take part in a play dough activity. Staff tell them that the play dough is magic and encourage them to make a wish for the weekend. When children have made their wish, they squeeze the play dough and are fascinated as it changes colour from beige to pink. These innovative experiences create awe and wonder for children and significantly enhance their already superb learning experiences.
• Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) receive exceptional support. Leaders and staff are highly skilled and are able to swiftly recognise where there are gaps in children's learning. They work tirelessly to research ways to support children, and implement targeted strategies, such as the use of signs and pictures to ensure all children have a voice and are able to make choices in their play and daily routines.
• Partnerships with parents are a strength of the setting. Leaders and staff share copious amounts of information with parents daily and via an online app. Parents are encouraged to visit the setting to read stories to children in their home language or to talk to them about their professions. Parents cannot speak highly enough of the care and learning their children receive. They say that the passion staff have helps their children to achieve, and that they know their children are safe, supported, encouraged, challenged and most of all very happy.