Blossom Day Nursery Ltd

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children thoroughly enjoy coming to nursery. They benefit from a calm learning environment and engaging activities that motivate them to learn and help them develop new skills. The curriculum is planned around the children's interests, and regular assessments help identify any gaps in learning early on. Staff have high expectations, and all children are making good progress. Support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) is very good. Staff work closely with parents and external agencies to ensure each child receives the support they need. Staff's quality of teaching and interactions are mostly strong to support children's learning needs.

Children happily play alongside their friends, learning how to share and take turns. For example, they build various structures using pipes to move sand, and they work together to find the most effective way to do this. Children can choose to play indoors or outdoors, with many opportunities to develop their physical skills. Staff speak openly with children about their feelings using an emotions board, encouraging them to recognise and understand different emotions. Overall, staff manage children's behaviour consistently. They also provide many opportunities for children to explore the local community. This includes visits to a nearby care home, promoting intergenerational relationships where children share stories and sing songs with the residents.

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

• Staff design the curriculum to support children to become independent and confident learners. Children demonstrate a positive attitude towards learning and confidently make independent choices about their play. Staff know their key children well and have a strong understanding of what each child needs to learn next. They take account of children's diverse learning needs and abilities when planning activities. For example, staff add tweezers to sequencing activities to introduce additional challenge and support the development of small physical skills.
• Staff thoughtfully design and organise the learning environment with well-planned activities and resources. For instance, children have access to several handwashing stations, which further encourages their independence. Staff promote children's independence throughout the day, with children building on their prior knowledge. Older children act as positive role models for younger peers, such as helping them collect their cutlery for lunch.
• Staff create opportunities for children to explore and investigate the outdoor world. For example, children go out for walks in the local park. They excitedly run around to find picture cards from a familiar book, along with finding insects and wildlife. Staff encourage children to talk about what they see and find. This helps children to develop their physical skills, learn about the world and recall familiar stories.
• Parents speak highly of the nursery. They comment on how happy and well cared for their children are and note that the communication is strong. Staff regularly share information about children's learning and invite parents to contribute to their assessments. Staff provide resources and practical ideas to support learning at home, such as advice on toilet training and learning packs, including books to read.
• Staff act as good role models and provide encouragement, support and praise to children. Overall, children are developing a good understanding of behavioural expectations. At times, staff do not consistently intervene to guide children or remind them of the expected behaviour when it is needed.
• Staff report feeling happy and well supported. Leaders hold regular supervision sessions that focus on staff welfare and offer opportunities for professional development. While support for staff is generally strong, it is not always targeted as effectively as possible to further enhance their skills and practice.
• Key staff support children with SEND well. They work closely with external agencies and parents. This helps identify realistic targets for children's individual education plans and promotes a consistent approach to supporting their needs. Leaders use additional funding with care, including to promote inclusive access to learning experiences.
• Leaders and staff consider children's move to the nursery and next room carefully. For example, children take part in stay-and-play sessions, and parents are able to meet their child's key person before they start. Leaders and staff are reflective and consider alternative approaches should they identify children need further support.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• enhance staff's support for children's further understanding of the boundaries and expectations
• build on the monitoring of staff practice further, to identify where staff need to embed their skills and practice to help them to provide more effective teaching and support to children.