Billingham Children's Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children arrive happy and eager to begin their day. They confidently hang up their coats and bags and are greeted warmly by kind and attentive staff. This helps children form secure attachments and settle well. Staff describe each child's personality with pride and respond to their unique characters. Children behave well. Staff are clear about their expectations and praise children for making positive choices, such as sharing toys and taking turns. The consistent, positive feedback from staff helps children to understand the expected behaviours.

Children show curiosity and thinking skills as they explore and investigate resources in the well-considered environment. Younger children begin to problem-solve, working out which balls will fit into the right sized pipes. Older children explain how, 'The sunshine has made the ice melt and turn back into water.' This demonstrates that they are beginning to understand early scientific concepts.

Staff focus the curriculum on supporting all children to become confident, inquisitive learners. They think about what they would like children to learn and consider children's interests to promote engagement. Staff encourage children to estimate and compare by asking, 'How many funnels will we need to fill the boats in the water tray?' Children count with staff; they work together and think about numbers being the same and different. This helps to support children's early mathematical understanding.

Staff promote an inclusive nursery and provide effective support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). They actively engage with other professionals to ensure that children receive additional support promptly.

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

• Staff are excellent role models. Children respond to their gentle and calming manner. This supports children to develop kindness and empathy. Staff understand when children may need extra support. If babies are upset, staff soothe and reassure them using cuddles, distraction techniques and words of comfort. Older children are encouraged to talk about things that are important to them and how they are feeling.
• Managers recognise the importance of offering a language-rich environment. Each room has books available linked to development stages and interests. Younger children enjoy lift the flap board books, and older children read traditional tales such as 'Jack and the Beanstalk'. Children talk excitedly about how many beans Jack uses to grow the 'really tall' beanstalk. Parents are encouraged to take books from the nursery lending library, and children have the opportunity to visit the mobile library in the local community.
• Healthy lifestyles are encouraged. Freshly cooked meals are offered daily, and children talk about the different fruit and vegetables as they chop up cucumbers and peppers. Children discuss how they feel hot when they run fast outside. Children visit the local dentist, and staff support children to brush their teeth. This helps children to develop a deeper understanding of how they can look after their teeth and meet their personal healthcare needs.
• Well-being and professional development are of paramount importance to managers. Staff report how the improvements managers are making to the setting are having a positive impact on the staff team and children. Regular supervisions and an open-door policy create a positive working environment. Staff comment how they feel valued and supported.
• Staff have a wealth of knowledge and information about the progress their key children have made. In the main, staff understand the skills they intend for children to learn. For example, they plan for children to practise balancing skills outdoors. However, the curriculum is not consistently embedded throughout all areas of the setting. This means that staff do not always provide children with the highest-quality interactions based on what children know and can do.
• Managers have worked hard to develop a curriculum that is focused on children's communication and emotional regulation. Staff use effective strategies to support emotional regulation. For example, children learn about the 'colour monster' to help them recognise, understand and manage their emotions. Positive interactions between staff and children help to develop confidence and self-esteem.
• Parents speak highly of the nursery. They talk about how happy and well cared for their children are. Staff share news of the exciting activities happening through an online platform. However, staff do not always inform parents of children's next steps for learning or give them ideas of how they can extend learning at home.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• ensure the curriculum is embedded across all areas of the setting to help deliver the highest-quality staff interactions based on what children know and can do
• extend the information provided for parents to help them understand their child's next stage of learning and give them suggestions for how they can support learning at home.