Blue Orkids @ Goldington Community Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The management team and staff warmly welcome children and their families on their arrival. Children show a willingness to learn and demonstrate that they feel safe in the care of the familiar adults. This supports children's emotional well-being and sense of belonging effectively. Staff actively support children to manage their feelings and emotions. They provide activities and age-appropriate resources that support the interests of the children. For example, younger children demonstrate perseverance as they use colourful shapes to build tall towers. They are shown how to roll and spin the shiny mirrored ball and become fascinated when they are encouraged to look at their reflection in the ball.

Staff provide opportunities for children to be physically active in the fresh air. They support children to take managed risks as they practise new skills, such as manoeuvring themselves across the wobbly wooden bridge and climbing and jumping from apparatus. Children are encouraged to move their bodies in a variety of ways. Younger children enthusiastically jump, pretending to be a kangaroo. Staff provide a wide range of activities that encourage children to develop their hand-eye coordination and muscle strength. Younger children pour water from one container to another. They mould and prod dough and are shown how to press cutters. Older children thread beads onto pipe cleaners and make marks on white boards. They show increasing pencil control as they draw around different shapes.

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

• The management team is committed to providing good-quality childcare. They continually reflect, looking at ways to enhance the nursery environment and opportunities for children. The management team proactively provides training opportunities to enhance staff's existing knowledge. For example, staff have attended training about regulating children's behaviour. This has supported them effectively to implement strategies to help children manage their feelings and emotions. Furthermore, the well-being of staff is given high priority.
• The curriculum is planned and sequenced to support the foundations for children's future learning. Staff implement an effective key-person system, planning activities that build on children's prior knowledge and interests. They join in the children's play and use ongoing observations to monitor their progress and well-being. However, on occasions, some staff do not use spontaneous opportunities to further enhance children's learning. Furthermore, staff working with younger children, sometimes, prevent them from completing the activities they are enjoying and learning from.
• The management team proactively supports families to access available funding. For example, they translate funding information and provide support when parents complete and submit their application. They then use their knowledge of the children and their families to determine how to best use the funding. For example, funding is used to enable specialist physical activities. This has supported children to develop their resilience and physical skills while enhancing their confidence and ability.
• Staff guide children to develop their language skills, including children who speak English as a second language. They use picture cues to aid communication and help children understand what is going to happen next. Babies and younger children hear nursery rhymes and begin to follow actions associated with the song. Older children confidently use their language and retained knowledge to describe how to care and feed 'Jeffery', the nursery lizard. Additionally, the development of children's independence is given high priority. From a young age, children are encouraged to take responsibility and manage their self-care skills. Children thoroughly enjoy their nutritious meals and snacks. Older children learn the importance of good oral health.
• The management team understands the importance of having arrangements in place to identify and support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. They actively involve parents in discussions and decision-making about their child, fully understand referral procedures and work cooperatively with other professionals. Staff plan specific activities to support the targets set for each child. This ensures all children are included and make progress alongside their peers.
• Parent partnerships are a key strength of the nursery. Management and staff spend time talking to parents and getting to know children's care needs and stage of development before they attend. There is a good two-way flow of communication. Parents receive daily feedback and updates about their children's progress via an app. Helpful information and advice is displayed, such as how to access help and support from other agencies. Parents also enjoy opportunities to take part in celebrations with their children, such as Victory in Europe Day activities and a Mother's Day breakfast.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support staff to deepen their understanding of high-quality interactions and use this to extend children's learning to the highest level
• review the organisation in the toddler room to enable children to continue to develop and complete the activities they are enjoying.