Bluebell Wood Children's Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children of all ages and abilities are happy, settled and confident at the friendly and welcoming setting. Staff have a secure understanding of how they successfully embed their chosen curriculum. This helps them to ensure that they motivate all children to learn. Children are eager to join in with the interesting activities that staff carefully plan for them. For example, older children learn about what happens when they mix substances such as vinegar and bicarbonate of soda together. They are excited to see that they can make 'erupting' volcanos. Younger children enjoy exploring different surfaces to make marks on. They learn that they can create art on different textures, such as with chalk on the walls outdoors.

Staff are positive role models and all children know what is expected of them. Children are polite and behave well. Older children 'buddy' younger children when they move up to their room. They kindly and proudly show them around and help them to settle. All children gain a good understanding of healthy lifestyles. This includes following thorough handwashing routines. Children have good opportunities to develop their physical skills. For example, they confidently learn about the different ways they can move their bodies in yoga and football classes. Younger children enjoy musical movement and baby massage sessions.

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

• The manager and staff establish secure and trusting relationships with all children. They get to know children's individual routines and what makes them unique. Children of all ages have a good sense of belonging and positive levels of well-being. They enjoy the company of staff and initiate conversations with them as they play together.
• All children have a positive attitude towards their learning. Staff support all children to make good progress. This includes children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. For instance, staff implement strategies that they know will support children. This includes providing a calm space, with low lights and calming music, for them to access if they become overwhelmed.
• Overall, children are engaged in their learning experiences. However, staff do not consistently organise the changes in routine well. They do not recognise when some children would benefit from a better understanding of what is expected of them during these times. For example, some children become distracting to others and roll and run around aimlessly when changing from play to sitting down for lunch. However, once lunch has commenced children are calm and engaged in their learning opportunities.
• All staff establish positive partnerships with parents, who speak highly of them. Staff keep them well involved in and informed about their children's learning. Staff share helpful ideas with parents. For example, they share bath time resources and activity ideas. They make a good link between home and the setting. For instance, children are excited to take home 'Hettie the hedgehog' for an adventure. They are eager to come and share their tales with their friends back at the setting.
• The manager closely monitors the good quality of education and care that staff provide. She routinely observes staff and provides them with constructive and helpful feedback. Staff evaluate their performance daily. They use their findings to support their future practice. For example, they highlighted a slight inconsistency in management of behaviour. Therefore, staff attended recent training to learn about how to manage any challenging behaviours effectively and safely.
• Overall, staff successfully support children to develop a good understanding of the similarities and differences in people from around the wider world. For example, they talk about festivals, such as Diwali. However, some staff do not fully support children who speak English as an additional language. For example, they do not consistently use effective techniques, such as visual timelines or key words, to communicate further with children who speak English as an additional language. This does not fully support their communication and language skills.
• Staff generally support all children to develop confident communication skills. Children enjoy a language-enriched environment. All children, including the youngest, enjoy a wide range of story and singing opportunities.
• The setting uses additional funding effectively to meet the individual learning needs of children. For instance, they provide them with more individual times to focus on activities that further support their speech and language development.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support staff to organise changes in routines more effectively to fully engage all children during these times
• provide staff with information and consistent ways to support children who speak English as an additional language even further.