Bo-Peeps Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Staff form strong bonds with children, creating a calm and welcoming space where they feel safe and secure. They work closely with parents to provide consistency and emotional security for each child. Babies and young children receive hugs and gentle reassurance from their key persons. Young children begin to develop self-awareness as they recognise themselves in pictures and mirrors. Children settle quickly, confidently exploring their environment and engaging with their favourite toys and activities.

The staff team members have clear expectations for children's learning. They focus on strengthening children's communication and language skills. Babies point and babble, while staff narrate back to them, developing their early language skills. Staff use hand gestures to help young children and those with limited language express themselves. Staff sing nursery rhymes and songs, encouraging children to join in with familiar phrases. They introduce new words and their meanings to expand older children's vocabulary. Staff provide opportunities for children to share their thoughts and ideas. They encourage other children to listen and wait for their turn, promoting respectful communication. Older children confidently express themselves in large groups.

Children develop strong social skills, building friendships and learning to manage their behaviour. Staff support them in resolving conflicts, encouraging patience, taking turns and good manners. They provide calm spaces where children reflect, express their feelings and understand how their actions affect others. These experiences build emotional resilience, helping children regulate their emotions and interactions as they grow.

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

• Leaders and staff have designed a curriculum covering all seven areas of learning through loose themes and a child-led approach. Key persons weave children's next learning steps into weekly activities. They follow children's interests, allowing them to make choices in their learning. Staff engage at key moments to deepen understanding beyond what they already know. All children make good progress, particularly in their communication and language development.
• The team members work hard to create a community in the nursery. They guide parents through key life changes and provide bags with books, stories and games to support children during transitions like starting school, welcoming a sibling or coping with loss. The management team listens to parental feedback and makes adjustments, such as sharing menus, to help prevent mealtime conflicts at home. This helps build trust. Parents meet regularly with their child's key person to discuss their children's progress, ensuring a consistent approach to learning. Parents frequently share that their children love attending the nursery and often do not want to leave at the end of the day.
• Staff promote children's independence and self-care. All children, including babies, wash their hands before meals, reinforcing early hygiene routines. Toddlers and pre-school-age children pour their drinks and serve their food, gaining confidence and control. Mealtimes are intended to encourage interaction and discussions, with all children sitting together. Younger babies are placed in highchairs around the edges of the room, while older babies sit separately with their backs to them. During this time, staff primarily focus on feeding younger babies, reducing opportunities for older babies to engage socially with peers and staff.
• Children's learning is tracked closely to identify gaps and adapt teaching. Recognising that boys needed support in developing early writing skills, staff introduced small-group activities like play dough and Lego to strengthen the muscles needed for later writing. Staff use tailored plans to ensure children with additional needs receive consistent support. Funding is used to provide additional staff and targeted resources, such as 'now and next' boards and visual aids. These interventions help children reach their full potential.
• Staff regularly contribute ideas to improve aspects of the learning environment, such as rearranging areas to promote quieter reflection spaces or enhancing children's access to sensory materials. However, leaders do not ensure that all staff interact with children in ways that support them during daily routines and play. While some staff demonstrate strong interactions, others wait for leaders to direct them rather than actively supporting and engaging in children's learning.
• Children enjoy participating in physical activities, supported by staff who encourage their movement and engagement in the garden. They develop listening and attention skills through stop-and-go games. Older children create race tracks and climb play equipment, building coordination and burning off excess energy. Babies explore the soft play, testing their abilities in a safe environment. These activities support children's overall health and well-being, promoting physical development and confidence.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• improve mealtime organisation to ensure all children, particularly babies, experience inclusive and purposeful interactions
• strengthen consistency in staff interactions with younger children to support their engagement and learning during routines and play.