Blossom Lodge Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are dropped off and collected from the different playrooms as parents cannot currently come into the setting due to safety measures for the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic. Staff make sure each child is greeted warmly, with a favourite toy or by their key person so they are comforted and settle quickly. Children enjoy exploring the well-resourced play spaces indoors and outdoors. Babies have fun climbing up the steps on the soft play cubes then slide down the slope on their tummies giggling as they go. Toddlers play with the pretend market stall. They collect the toy red and green apples and pears for a picnic and use the toy teapot to make pretend cups of tea for the adults. Outdoors, children listen to stories sitting in the log circle. They ride tricycles round the playground and use their imagination as they make 'pizza' from bark chippings in the mud kitchen. Staff encourage children to express ideas and recall what they have done before. For example, they ask them about favourite toys, stories and rhymes. Children help each other and manage feelings well. Children set the table for lunch time and help serve the food. Older children show respect for others as they play with toy cars. They create roads and a car wash, then wait for their turn to use them. Children are learning the skills they need for their future learning and the move on to school. Staff make sure they share what children are doing with parents. For example, they take photographs and videos and upload them online so parents can see what children are doing.

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

• Leaders and managers work hard to support staff through the different changes, including the COVID-19 pandemic and staff leaving. Leaders and managers focus on developing staff skills and support their mental health and well-being. Staff are confident to voice their opinions and implement training effectively to benefit children and improve outcomes. Staff are starting to work together better with a shared vision to improve quality and build on the good progress children are making.
• Support for babies is good. Staff offer reassurance and allow comfort objects, such as dummies when children are settling. However, sometimes, when dummies fall on the floor staff do not wash them before returning them to children. Staff support children to make choices about what and how they want to play. However, staff do not always encourage children to tidy the toys away when they have finished playing. The floor space becomes cluttered and moving around the room is more difficult.
• Staff support children's communication, language, and early literacy well. Staff working with the babies provide new words and descriptions as they play. For example, when children comment that they have a block, staff tell them 'yes, it is a red block'. Pre-school children concentrate well as they recall the letters in their name. Staff encourage them to find the letters from alphabet stencils or by picking out the card with their name on.
• Older and younger children recall favourite stories. Younger children eagerly join in with the repeated phrases and actions as they go on a bear hunt. They say 'Bye bear' at the end. Pre-school children recall what the caterpillar likes to eat when they find one in the outdoor area. They recall that it eats lollies, apples and leaves before becoming a cocoon and then a butterfly. They show care and concern for the caterpillar making sure it is put on a leaf away from where they are playing.
• Children learn about other countries and cultures. They create wall displays and scrap books about their extended families and where they have been on holiday. Staff write comments that children make so they can recall names for family members and phrases in home languages. Families send in photographs to share with the children and describe different celebrations or festivals that children can join in with in the nursery.
• Key persons know children well. They plan activities and experiences that extend and enhance children's learning and development. They recognise when children may need extra support. They work closely with parents, other staff and professionals to provide interventions to support learning. All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, make good progress in their development.
• Children take part in many different activities throughout their day at nursery. Staff plan and adapt activities to meet children's needs and interests. Sometimes, when there are changes to the routines, staff do not explain to children what is happening. For example, after mealtimes staff clean tables before setting out new activities. Children wander about and become restless or bored. At small group time, staff do not encourage children to listen. Children continue to talk with others and are not ready to learn from the start of the new activity.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support all staff to understand and follow the agreed approaches to helping children learn about good hygiene practices and caring for the play spaces
• make sure staff explain better when changes happen so children know what is expected and they are ready to engage in learning from the start of new activities.