Bentley Manor Childcare Centre

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children thrive in this welcoming, nurturing and exciting environment. They eagerly enter nursery and are greeted warmly by staff. Activities are attractively displayed, which captures children's attention, and they settle quickly into their play. Children form close attachments with staff, who use their knowledge of children's interest and abilities to plan an interesting and challenging curriculum. Effective routines support children as they transition through the nursery. This contributes to their feeling of confidence and emotional security.

Children behave well. They learn the importance of using 'kind hands' and the need to share and take turns during their play. Children show empathy towards their friends. When children are new to the room, older children take them by the hand and offer support with daily routines, such as handwashing. Staff build children's confidence and self-esteem through praise and encouragement. They also use facial expressions and hand gestures to show babies and younger children they have done well. Children's kindness extends to the nursery pets, and they enjoy helping to care for Cinnamon the guinea pig and Bentley the bunny. Children thrive in the extensive outdoor space, where they access a wealth of resources to support their physical development. Children confidently move in a variety of ways as they jump in and out of tyres, balance on planks, and explore. They persevere as they move across a beam using their hands and feet and are proud when they achieve their goal. Babies develop confidence as they pull themselves to standing, holding on to low-level furniture, and move around the room. Young children enjoy climbing, moving up and down low-level steps, and they use small slides with ease.

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

• Leadership and management are strong. Robust recruitment procedures ensure that staff have the skills, abilities and qualities to carry out their roles effectively. Staff well-being is a priority, and managers provide support through regular supervision meetings. This enables staff to identify professional development opportunities to continually enhance their knowledge and skills. This ultimately has a positive impact on the quality of the care provided.
• The support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) is strong. Leaders and staff work well in partnership with other professionals and parents to seek additional support when needed. They are knowledgeable about each child's individual learning needs and are committed to ensuring that every child gets the help and support they need to help them make the best possible progress.
• Children's health is given high priority. Children plant vegetables and herbs in the growing area and learn to care for them. Robust procedures are in place to ensure that all dietary needs, allergies and food preferences are strictly adhered to. Older children know that vegetables are good for them. They know that vegetables contain vitamins that make platelets, and this help their skin to heal if they cut themselves.
• Children enjoy learning about nature and the life cycles of plants and animals. They recall that seeds they have planted are carrots, sunflowers and pumpkin. Children are intrigued by tadpoles. However, on occasions, staff do not make the most of opportunities to extend children's learning even further.
• Children thoroughly enjoy looking at books and listening to stories. They join in with their favourite stories and repeat familiar phrases. Older children recognise the makeup of different words. They know that if the end of a word sounds the same it means they rhyme and that if words start with the same letter or sound it is called alliteration. Children listen to a story about a lion who lost his roar and think about the different ways he could communicate with the other animals, such as using pictures or signs. Babies relish circle time. They take turns to feel different textures in books. They are excited when it is their turn to choose an item out of the bag and then sing a corresponding song about the object, such as Humpty Dumpty.
• Children learn about the world around them, and their individual culture is respected and valued. Children learn about different festivals. They learn about Holi, the festival of colour, and throw powder paint at each other. Staff ensure that they have words in children's home language to help children settle and communicate their needs throughout the day. Residents from a local care home visit the nursery. Children are building relationships with them and have fun as they sing songs and talk together. This has had a positive impact on both the children and the residents.
• Children develop independence and are secure in the daily routine. They enjoy spending time both inside and outside. However, there are times when staff do not maximise opportunities for children to choose where they want to play or if they want to take toys outside with them to enable them to extend their play even further.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• give children even more choices about where they want to play and if they want to take toys outside
• extend spontaneous situations to continually enhance learning even more.