Boo Boo's Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children arrive happy and settled, ready to start their day at nursery. They build warm and trusting relationships with their key worker. Babies snuggle in for reassuring cuddles. This helps children to feel safe and secure. Staff know children's interests, linking them to what they want children to learn. For example, children have an interest in vehicles. This opens a discussion on which cars would fit under a toy bridge. Staff include words such as 'tall' and 'wide'. This helps children to make good progress in their development.

Staff act as good role models. Children hear staff thanking and helping each other. This helps children to understand positive behaviour and encourages good manners. They know what is expected of them. Children say 'thank you' to the cook when she brings them their snacks and lunch. They learn to take turns, share and be kind to each other. Children are eager to take part in planned activities. For example, when they have completed a nature hunt at home, children talk about the things they found and brought into nursery. Children's learning is extended, as they talk about the colours and textures of the leaves and conkers.

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

• Staff start the day with a group activity in each room. In the pre-school room, children find their names, talk about the weather, and introduce numbers and letters into songs and rhymes. Staff provide a daily routine, which helps to provide children with a sense of belonging.
• Staff read stories with enthusiasm. They use various voices for different characters. Children remain engaged and eagerly turn the pages to discover what happens next. They are asked questions and are given time to think and respond. This helps children to understand that their opinions matter. However, sometimes, staff ask children questions that only require a 'yes' or 'no' answer. This limits children's ability to fully explore their own ideas.
• In general, staff teach children good communication and language skills. For example, children are encouraged to repeat new words and phrases. During snack time, staff talk to children about 'nibbling' their banana and how the strawberries are a bit 'sour'. However, during normal conversations with children, staff occasionally use informal language without thinking. For instance, they say 'innit' instead of 'isn't it'. This means that children do not hear the correct pronunciation of words.
• Overall, children's independence is supported. Older children wash their hands and put on their own shoes and coats. However, staff do not consistently use mealtimes to promote children's independence. At snack time, staff pre-prepare fruit and give it to children on individual plates. At lunchtime, even pre-school children have their food cut up, rather than staff encouraging them to use a knife and fork.
• Children are active inside and outside. They have the use of a large indoor space where they can run, dance and climb. Children have plenty of opportunities to go outside. They use the equipment in the nursery garden and go on walks to feed the ducks and visit the local park. Children have visits from the local police and fire services. These visits help children to understand their local community and the wider world.
• Partnerships with parents are strong. Parents say that 'staff clearly care a lot about their job'. Staff share information through daily face-to-face discussions, children's 'busy books' and an online platform. Younger children have a daily diary. Parents feel well informed about their children's day and their development.
• Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are well supported. Staff quickly identify gaps in children's learning, and seek advice from other professionals to achieve the best outcomes for all children. This helps children with SEND to make good progress from their individual starting points.
• Staff interact lovingly with children. They offer children lots of encouraging praise. However, in some rooms, staff include phrases such as 'well done' and 'good job' in most sentences. Additionally, they do not link praise to an action or individual children. This means that children have stopped responding to positive praise as it has become meaningless.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• enhance staff's modelling of everyday language and develop additional questioning techniques, to further extend children's thinking and communication skills
• provide consistent opportunities for children to further develop their independence and self-help skills
• ensure that praise is meaningful, attached to an action or task, and directed to individual children.