Blossoms Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The manager and her team create a warm and welcoming environment. Children feel happy, safe and secure. They form strong attachments with staff and settle quickly in their care. Children enthusiastically join in activities and play with their friends. They are well behaved, kind and considerate. Children take turns with others during play and are well mannered.

Staff work with parents to get to know children's needs and interests. Staff incorporate these into planned activities to provide targeted support. They regularly assess children's learning and identify areas for development.

Children of all ages develop a love of reading and enjoy a wide range of books. They select books independently and enthusiastically shout out 'over it, under it' and 'through it' as they listen to staff read stories.

Parents now leave their children at the door, due to COVID-19 (coronavirus) restrictions. Staff help children well to part from their parents. For example, staff provide children with gentle support and comfort upon arrival. They encourage older children to hang up their bags and self-register. Staff share detailed information with parents about their child's care and learning daily. They keep parents informed through discussions at the doorstep and electronic communication.

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

• The manager's intent for the curriculum is clear. Staff provide a varied curriculum that builds on what children know and can do. They know children well and plan enjoyable activities that children are keen to take part in. However, at times, staff do not organise activities as well as they could and they miss some opportunities to extend older children's learning.
• Staff provide varied opportunities for children to learn about the local and wider community. For example, children collect tins and packet foods for a local food bank. Staff chose books that explore the similarities and differences between children and others. Children are beginning to understand what makes them unique.
• Children enjoy playing outdoors. They develop strong physical skills, balance and coordination. Older children climb over obstacles, ride bicycles and run freely in the space around them. Children focus their attention for extended periods of time. For instance, toddlers concentrate well as they practise walking along low ramps.
• Staff encourage children to be independent. Older children are learning how to take care of themselves. They wash their hands independently, serve their own food, pour drinks and return their dishes after eating.
• Staff are kind, caring and attentive. They notice when children are hungry, upset or tired, and respond sensitively to their individual needs. For example, staff sit with toddlers and gently pat their backs to help them fall asleep.
• Children learn skills that help them to make successful transitions between the rooms. Close links with local schools help to support children's move on to school. Children talk with enthusiasm about their imminent move to school, showing how well staff have prepared them for this change.
• The manager and staff develop good partnerships with parents. They offer parents suggestions about how they can continue to support their children's learning at home. Parents comment positively about their children's experiences in the nursery. They value the information that staff share about their children's learning. Parents appreciate staff's commitment to ensuring children achieve a good level of development.
• The manager and staff strive for improvement continually. When the nursery closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the management team implemented changes to the layout of the indoor area. They transformed part of the office into a reading den/quiet sensory room. Blackout blinds, fairy lights and calming music help children to feel relaxed. Staff use the room in many ways, such as for circle time or for small groups of children to do focused activities.
• The manager makes sure staff keep all mandatory training up to date, including paediatric first aid and safeguarding. However, she does not focus on building on and improving staff's knowledge and skills, to enhance the teaching of the curriculum.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• make better use of opportunities that arise for older children to extend their thinking and learning skills
• strengthen staff's professional development to enhance staff's knowledge and skills even further.