Boarshaw Private Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children thrive in this exciting and highly nurturing nursery. The nursery ethos of 'providing children with the best start in their learning journey' shines through. Children have ample opportunities to develop to the very best of their abilities. The passionate and caring staff work harmoniously to plan and prepare engaging activities to support and challenge children's development. For example, as children play with the pretend farm animals, babies learn animal sounds and the older children learn where milk comes from. Older children are enthralled as they learn how to milk cows using a cardboard model. They engage in rich conversations and discuss the different body parts of a cow, such as udders. Children's learning is consolidated with a trip to the farm.

The nursery manager and staff share an ambition to provide high-quality care and education for all children. The well-thought-out curriculum supports children's learning exceptionally well. Children's individual interests are threaded throughout the curriculum to help keep them engaged. For instance, children bring their love of dinosaurs into their play as they explore different animal footprints. They eagerly stomp their pretend dinosaurs around the area, which creates new footprints for them to investigate.

All children, including babies, are confident and motivated learners. They show respect for others and delight in their peers' achievements. Staff give children the tools and resources to develop holistically. They encourage children to observe their wider environment and utilise what they see in their play. Following some construction work that took place at the nursery, children confidently build walls using building tools, shaving foam and play bricks, replicating what they observed. Staff build on their learning by encouraging children to talk about patterns and angles, which helps to extend their mathematical thinking.

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

• The highly skilled staff team understands child development and plans precisely for what children need to learn next. As a consequence, children are making rapid progress from their starting points.
• Partnership working across the nursery is exceptional. The nursery team communicates consistently with parents to ensure they are well informed about their children's progress. Furthermore, there are embedded systems to support parents in offering learning experiences at home. For example, parents borrow resource packs that help to support and challenge their children's learning at home.
• Professionals who support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are regular visitors in the nursery. They share their focus targets for children with staff and develop joint plans to support the best possible outcomes. This means that children with SEND receive holistic support to help channel their learning. Consequently, children with SEND make superb progress and show high levels of engagement.
• Children's behaviour is impeccable. They are considerate and thoughtful to each other. On the rare occasion when an unkind interaction occurs, staff are quick to respond and encourage children to remember the 'golden rules'. Staff help children to reflect on their feelings and the impact of their actions on their peers. This consistent approach throughout the nursery embeds children's awareness of boundaries and respect for others.
• Staff make excellent use of their outdoor environment to develop children's physical skills and ignite their awe and wonder of the world. The vast amount of learning experiences on offer ensure that children have an array of activities to choose from and explore. Children delight in tending to their gardening area. They nurture and water their plants to help them grow. Children also engage in conversations with staff about the changes they have observed. This supports children's developing knowledge of their wider world.
• Staff recognise the importance of supporting children's communication skills. They provide a wealth of interactions for all children. A whole-nursery approach to sing and sign allows children to develop secure communication and language skills from an early age. For instance, babies learn the sign for 'friends' as they sing songs. Older children learn multiple signs and phrases to develop their understanding. Children who speak English as an additional language are well supported. Staff learn key words in children's home languages, which supports children as they settle into the nursery. Staff skilfully build on children's developing language to help them develop in English language speaking.
• Children actively engage in creative activities across the nursery. They make fruit kebabs as they explore the story of a hungry caterpillar. Staff skilfully encourage children to discuss the different shapes, colours, sequencing and patterns of their kebabs. Children also investigate patterns as they create different animal masks. They are gaining a secure understanding of early mathematical concepts.
• The manager and staff ensure that all children receive the education they are entitled to. Additional funding is spent on resources that meet the individual learning needs of disadvantaged children. As a result, they benefit from focused support and resources to help maximise their learning and progress.