Blue Grass Purple Cow Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Staff ensure that children are welcomed into a safe and exceptionally well-resourced environment. Parents comment that their children do not turn around and wave, as they are so eager to meet their friends and learn. The manager supports staff to have a highly effective key-person system. Staff follow children's interests and work closely with parents. Children quickly form secure bonds with staff. Children are busy and full of excitement at the freedom they have to develop their curiosity. Babies confidently explore the environment around them, discovering a variety of activities provided within a stimulating outdoor garden. The older children relish the openness of the outdoor space. Staff set up the outdoor space well to create an area of excitement and fun. They set up obstacle courses, which supports the planned day theme of water. The children work as a team and develop their understanding of the word collaborative, which is well used in context by both children and staff.

Staff ensure that children are provided with the highest level of activities based on their curriculum for children's physical development. Staff support children to have a deep understanding of how their bodies work by giving them cool-down times after being physically active. Staff enable children to work together to carry out their own thinking about how to do things. Staff teach children to be independent from an early age. They encourage the children to wash their hands; babies can put their own bibs on, and the older children change themselves from wet to dry clothes.

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

• Staff support children's physical skills effectively. For example, within the baby room, staff provide babies with tunnels and soft-play bridges so that they can extend their core strength. The older children show enjoyment when taking part in their 'Waka Waka' workout. Children relish the praise given by staff for their achievements.
• The manager and staff have constructed a curriculum to support and build on what children know and can already do. Staff make ongoing assessments of children's achievements. Consequently, they know children well and understand their developmental needs and interests.
• Staff ensure they have a robust behaviour management system. Children behave well and are taught the importance of being respectful to others following the nursery's 'Purple Cow' rules, such as using sign language for 'please' when food is served.
• Staff ensure that every child has a warm welcome into the nursery. During circle time, all children are welcomed with the 'Hello song'. However, circle times are too lengthy for the younger babies, and they get up and walk away from the group.
• All staff are supported by each other, and well-being is a high priority. Staff reflect upon their training in meetings and share ideas together, which impacts positively on the enthusiasm of all staff. Staff have access to an external support system, which provides extra support when needed.
• Staff ensure that all children are engaged in an activity at all times. However, staff sometimes direct activities too much, particularly with the older children, which limits children's critical-thinking practise, as answers are given too fast.
• Parents are very complimentary about the nursery. Parents talk about how they value their child's key person, commenting on how they really know their child inside and out. Parents are sent assessments and are kept up to date daily through the use of an online app.
• Staff place a strong emphasis on supporting children's language development. Within all age ranges, there are natural conversations between staff and the children. The older children are actively taught by staff to learn a word of the week by using this word in the correct context on many occasions.
• Mathematics is taught to all ages. Staff provide whiteboards and pens to support children as they carry out simple addition as part of a larger group activity in the pre-school room. Babies happily sing counting songs.
• Staff teach children good hygiene practices. For example, within the room for older children, staff use their 'pom pom panda' to support children who they have identified to be in the early stages of toilet training.
• Mealtimes in the baby room are inconsistent. Snack and finger food is provided to enable children to develop their mouth muscles during morning and afternoon sessions, which the children successfully manage. However, at lunchtime, all food is blended, as the directors feel that there is a high risk of the youngest children choking if food is not blended. This does not support the weaning process or children's physical development.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• strengthen the consistency of mealtimes, particularly how food is prepared for babies for different meals during weaning stages
• support staff who engage with older children to enhance children's critical-thinking skills, providing time for children to think before they respond to questions
• review the organisation of circle times so that the youngest children have better experiences to build their concentration skills.