Blackburne House Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are happy and safe at this warm and friendly setting. Staff have lovely attachments with children. When children first start at the setting, they attend settling-in sessions and form bonds with their key person. Children are provided with visits to their next room as they transition through the nursery, and they have time to get to know their new key person. As a result, children are settled and enjoy their time at the setting.

Children behave very well. Staff have clear behaviour strategies and apply these consistently. For example, when children are struggling to share, staff remind them to have 'kind hands'. The nursery curriculum incorporates personal and social development. These expectations are weaved throughout each room. Staff adapt their approach for the varying ages of children. This includes for children who have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Consequently, all children understand what is expected of them.

Children have access to well-resourced indoor and outdoor environments. They confidently select resources and choose activities. They enjoy playing alongside each other. For example, children enjoy building sandcastles and are proud to show these to their friends. Outside, children enjoy playing in the snow. Staff introduce new vocabulary, such as 'snowflake' and 'crunch', as they make footprints. Children enjoy scooping the snow and watching it melt. Subsequently, children learn about the world around them and build their vocabulary.

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

• Leaders and managers have a clear vision for the nursery. They have devised a curriculum that is understood and implemented well, overall, by the staff. Staff have a good understanding of what children already know and what they need to learn next. As a result, children are engaged in purposeful play and activities and are motivated and eager to learn.
• Staff have access to training in order to extend their professional development. In addition, they have supervision meetings with the managers. However, managers do not identify clear targets for staff to support them to raise the quality of their practice to the highest level.
• Children's communication and language are supported well throughout the setting. Staff provide a calm environment, and when speaking to children, they get down to children's level. Staff listen to children and speak clearly to them. Children are provided with books and enjoy sitting with staff and listening to stories. Therefore, children are developing a love of books. This further supports children's developing vocabulary.
• Parents comment on how happy their children are at the setting. They say their children 'look forward to going to nursery'. Parents say they feel supported, and they value the communication between themselves and the staff. The setting has recently introduced a system for communicating electronically with parents. This is used well to help to share learning opportunities between the setting and home. This further supports the good progress that children make.
• Staff provide opportunities for children to talk about their feelings. For example, staff use wooden blocks with pictures showing different emotions. Staff ask children how they are feeling, and children either talk to staff or show them using the appropriate blocks. As a result, children develop an understanding of their own and other's feelings and emotions.
• All children, including children who are funded and children with SEND, are supported very well. The special educational needs coordinator (SENCo) works in partnership with a number of agencies to ensure all children receive the support they need. The SENCo regularly reviews relevant documentation and ensures that timely referrals are put into place. As a result, children's needs are met, and all children make good progress.
• Babies are cared for in a spacious and well-equipped room. They have access to a wide range of age-appropriate resources. Staff meet the personal needs of the babies well. For example, they adopt their care routines from home. As a result, babies feel safe and secure. Babies have lovely attachments with their key person. They snuggle in when having their bottle and look for them when they leave the room.
• Children have some opportunities to develop their independence skills. For example, they wash and dry their own hands after using the bathroom. However, staff do not always encourage children to do things that they are capable of doing for themselves, to enhance children's independence and self-care skills even further.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• promote further children's independence and self-help skills and encourage children to try to do things for themselves
• strengthen the current arrangements for the supervision of staff and their professional development to help them raise the quality of their practice to the highest standard.