Bluebell Day Care Ltd

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children thrive at this nursery. Staff take time to gather detailed information about each child and their family. They build on this partnership with parents from the start to understand each child's lived experience. This informs how staff plan and adapt their approach to enable all children to benefit from the high-quality care and learning they consistently provide. Children form strong bonds with staff, frequently seeking them out to share their discoveries and achievements as well as feeling safe and secure to seek reassurance should they need it. Children build high levels of self-esteem. Staff show the utmost respect towards children, consistently seeking consent before helping with hygiene routines. They sensitively help children to learn about their emotions and build strategies that help them gain self-awareness to learn to self-regulate.

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

• The provider has established a clear curriculum that is extremely well embedded with staff to help children build on what they know and can do. Staff have the interests of children at the heart of all they do and are ambitious for children to achieve their best.
• Leaders are extremely knowledgeable about child development and continually review and reflect on practice, astutely identifying where to improve further. They ensure that staff receive regular and meaningful coaching and training that helps them fulfil the curriculum aims. Staff say that they thoroughly enjoy working at the nursery and feel valued and supported to continue to develop their knowledge and skills.
• Staff know children exceedingly well. They formally assess children's progress termly but know the nuances of progress children make daily. They skilfully adapt planning to reflect children's emerging and changing interests to successfully engage and motivate children to learn.
• Staff provide children with clear and consistent boundaries that help children understand what is expected of them. Children learn to share, take turns and consider the impact of their actions on their friends. They show empathy towards each other, offering cuddles if a peer trips over. Staff sensitively help children to resolve minor conflicts, such as by modelling how to take turns or asking questions that help children reflect and make different choices.
• Parents are extremely positive about their children's experiences at the nursery. They say that communication about all things, and especially their child's progress, is excellent. Parents say that they recommend the nursery to other parents.
• Children with special education needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are very well supported. Staff work well with parents and professionals to understand how best to tailor and adapt the provision to meet children's specific needs and deliver targeted interventions.
• With children's well-being a priority, staff ensure that changes for all children are carefully planned and implemented. Staff provide examples of school uniform for children to use in role play and arrange for Reception Year teachers to visit children in the nursery before they start school. Staff have strong links with the host school and liaise with teachers to help children gain the key skills they need for the next steps in their education.
• Leaders ensure that any additional funding children may receive is used in a considered way and in consultation with parents.
• Staff read books to children throughout the day, as part of the routine and at children's request. Children listen well, showing high levels of attention. During play, they show what they have remembered and often repeat words and phrases from the stories. Children practise hand-eye coordination as they use spoons to fill bowls with oats as they re-enact parts of the story 'Goldilocks and the Three Bears'.