Blue Pear Day Nursery Anerley

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The staff and management team work well with parents to settle children into this calm setting. Children are happy, engaged and curious learners. All children receive positive reinforcement of their home languages and the opportunity to learn new languages. Children proudly count and sing in other languages.

The curriculum is ambitious and includes a range of learning opportunities, such as interactive sessions covering phonetic sound, languages, singing and stories. This is evident from baby room through to the toddlers and the pre-school. Children are able to recall enthusiastically information learned. They are able to understand behavioural expectations and show this by putting their hands up eagerly when it is their turn to answer the question. Children are keen to demonstrate what they have learned, for example by giving examples of what carbohydrates are.

The curriculum for communication and language is strong. Babies benefit from positive interactions with staff, and all staff give children time to process when responding to questions. Children demonstrate kindness towards each other. Staff support children in understanding their differences and similarities through celebrating their different languages and cultures. Staff put children at the heart of their practice helping them to understand the nursery rules and expectations. Any children who are still learning these rules are gently guided and redirected by staff with a 'no thank you'.

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

• There is a clear, well-designed curriculum that allows all children to progress across all learning areas. It is designed and planned with all the staff and supports and builds on children's learning in each room, linking to their transition to the next room. The planning of activities is both child-led and teacher-directed. Staff are motivated and supported well by the manager, who involves them all in the planning. The leadership team and staff work well together, implementing strategies to support staff skills, practice and knowledge.
• There is a well-established key-person approach. This includes a clear system for supporting children with special educational needs and or disabilities (SEND). The setting makes good use of external agency support.
• Children have good communication skills, and staff use lots of language opportunities to extend and develop children's vocabulary, including words of the week and sign language. Staff give children sufficient time to process what they have learned. However, on some occasions, group activities are not sharply focused on each child's individual needs, and some children sit outside of the activity with less adult interaction.
• Children enjoy lots of physical activity and outdoor play. This is complimented by various extracurricular activities like tennis, which is available to all children.
• Staff have a good understanding of where the children are and what their next steps are. Staff handover within their key-person role is supportive to the children. This includes when they are moving to a new staff member, for example.
• Care practices are supported carefully allowing children's independence. Children set tables for lunch and are able to wash their hands and wipe their noses. This teaches them to understand the need to keep themselves healthy. At times, children have to wait too long as they prepare for outdoor play or for the activities to start after lunch.
• Parents say that their children are safe, happy and secure at this nursery. They feel there is good feedback between parents and staff. Parents appreciate all the platforms for information sharing, including newsletters, the online learning journal and learning at home packs. They report that their children are excited to come to the setting, and they recognise how hard the staff work and their engagement with the children.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• strengthen the approach to extending children's learning experiences during adult-led group activities, to motivate all children to join in and participate
• review the organisation of transition times, particularly after lunchtime and when preparing to go outdoors. This is to help children remain more focused and engaged in their learning.