Bluebell Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The nursery offers an inspiring and inclusive environment where children eagerly immerse themselves in the stimulating and engaging activities that are on offer. Leaders, managers and practitioners share the highest expectations and aspirations for all children. Together, they implement an exceptionally well-designed curriculum that helps children to continuously acquire knowledge and skills. The practitioners' skilled use of simple sign language across the rooms helps children to join in with conversations, stories and songs.

Practitioners show children the greatest respect. For example, they always take time to check with babies before helping them to wipe their face or wash their hands. This fosters children's choices and helps them to feel their contribution is valued. Practitioners are excellent role models. They offer children ample praise when they follow simple instructions and show care for others. As a result, children's behaviour is exemplary for their young age.

A highly successful key-person system means practitioners get to know children's individual needs, routines and families in great detail. They show a genuine commitment to celebrating aspects of children's home lives, such as the languages they experience at home and events that are special to them. There is an extremely calm and reassuring approach within the nursery. Well-established routines mean children excitedly anticipate what is happening next, such as outdoor play and mealtimes. This helps all children to thrive and feel extremely safe and settled in their surroundings.

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

• Leaders demonstrate a passionate commitment to provide the highest possible quality of care for children. They build excellent partnerships with parents and exchange information with them readily. Practitioners are highly respectful of parents' wishes for their children, while also sharing their expertise to make a real difference at key moments in children's lives.
• Practitioners have an excellent understanding of how to sequence children's learning. For example, they encourage babies to drink from an open cup at an early stage, moving them on from a spouted beaker. Toddlers delight in serving themselves at mealtimes, and this gives them the confidence to have go at pouring a drink. This excellent approach to learning enables children to be very independent at the earliest opportunity.
• Children have an excellent attitude to learning. Practitioners seize opportunities for children to take the lead in their play. For example, they fully support toddlers when they choose to use paint pens to make marks on the play elephants rather than paper. Toddlers show exceptional levels of concentration and control as they persevere to finish the task.
• Practitioners recognise when children show a preference for learning outdoors. They make the most of the outdoor space to build on children's rapidly developing physical skills. For example, they create a fun game to inspire toddlers to learn to adjust their pace when walking up and down a ramp.
• Practitioners place great value on encouraging children's communication and language. They are highly responsive to babies' babbling, and they promote meaningful back-and-forth interactions. Practitioners use actions and repeated refrains to capture the attention of toddlers during group story times. Toddlers stand up enthusiastically to join in with the signs and show an impressive ability to repeat simple phrases.
• Practitioners are alert to the physical and emotional needs of babies and toddlers, and they tailor their care superbly to suit these. They are diligent in keeping up to date with current guidance to ensure that children eat, rest and sleep safely. Babies settle contently as they listen to calming classical music and feel comforted by their key person's attentive reassurance.
• Children are exceptionally well prepared when it is time to move into the next room. Babies and toddlers have daily opportunities to play together and form close emotional bonds. Key persons and parents accompany children on visits to the next room to help them to embrace the move with great excitement.
• Leaders have an excellent oversight of the nursery. They are extremely reflective and continuously seek ways to improve and evolve. The joint managers are highly effective in monitoring staff's practice, with a focus on being constructive and supportive. This enables practitioners to enhance their skills even further and continue to strive for the very best outcomes for children.