Bluebell Barn Children's Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are happy and safe at the nursery. Babies are excited to explore sensory materials available to them, positioned at different levels. As a result, they begin to develop their small-muscle skills and independence. Toddlers learn to be independent by serving their own lunch and pouring their drinks. This allows them to learn specific physical skills needed to grasp utensils. In addition, this improves their hand-to-eye coordination skills.

Children have opportunities to develop their physical skills well. They join in and help each other to build an obstacle course in the garden. Children delight in talking about how they are balancing. Children show high levels of cooperation as they queue to take turns on the obstacle course.

Children show positive attitudes to learning and each other. Staff set high expectations for children's behaviour. They skilfully support children to resolve minor conflicts by teaching them simple strategies. This empowers children to handle these situations on their own. Children have opportunities to develop their imaginative skills. For example, a large building site next to the nursery has been replicated by staff in the children's outdoor play area. In addition, children learn about the construction industry and how houses are built. Staff encourage them to look at the building site as it changes over time.

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

• Managers and staff consistently reflect and evaluate the quality of the care and education at the nursery. Leaders have involved all staff in their planning of the curriculum. As a result, most staff know what skills and knowledge they want the children to learn in each age group. For example, babies are working on the physical skills necessary to pull themselves up and move around the room to prepare them for walking. Staff carefully plan and prepare activities and the environment to encourage these skills.
• The nursery manager and the special educational needs coordinator work with other professionals, family members and the nursery staff well. This ensures children with identified delays in their learning receive targeted support in a timely manner. In addition, key persons know their key children well and implement strategies that help them reach their full potential. This allows all children to thrive and make good progress.
• Staff support children to be respectful and to begin to care for themselves. Children are enthusiastic to demonstrate how they use the self-care stations set up by staff to teach them how to use tissues to blow their noses. Staff understand how to use all care routines as an opportunity for learning. For example, the toilets have been set up with disco lights and music to encourage children to dance and move their bodies.
• Children from different cultural backgrounds are made to feel welcome. Staff work closely with parents to learn key phrases in their home language. This helps children to have a sense of familiarity and builds their confidence. Parents are invited in to share information about the festivals they celebrate. However, parents report that they would like more information about their child's progress and development. Leaders recognise this and have plans in place to improve links with parents.
• Managers and staff understand what skills they want children to learn before moving into their next stage of learning. Staff in each room understand what they want children to learn to develop their personal, social and physical skills. However, managers and staff are not as clear about what vocabulary and communication skills they want children to learn in each age group.
• Managers put a high priority on supporting the staff's professional development and well-being. They regularly train staff in how to safeguard children, curriculum priorities and how children develop. The manager ensures that staff have understood their training through regular meetings and daily checks.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• build on recent improvements to further enhance information-sharing with parents/carers to provide a clear picture of their child's development
• support staff to consider more precisely the vocabulary and language skills they want children to learn.