Borrowby Nursery School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children receive a warm welcome to this nursery. They look forward to coming and delight in seeing their friends and staff. Staff build warm and caring relationships with children. Children trust the adults and know that they are there to help. They demonstrate highly positive attitudes towards tasks and are very engaged. Children move freely around the setting and develop their imaginations successfully. For example, they engage with small-world figures, promoting their language and communication skills.

Children treat each other kindly, imitating the good relationships that they see around them in nursery. They begin to understand that some types of behaviour are better than others. They make friends and share and play together well.

Children spend a lot of time outdoors. They work together, shovelling sand and soil out of a large container before wheeling it elsewhere. Meanwhile, others solve the problem of how to transport water using pots and pans. Children are fascinated by nature and the world around them. They turn over logs to see what creatures live underneath. They describe the size of the various spiders and compare the length of the worms they find. Staff support children to find information in books to correctly name bugs, such as 'millipede'. Children learn how to skilfully ride bicycles and understand how to keep themselves safe by wearing a helmet.

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

• The manager and staff have worked hard to address the previous actions. They are committed to providing high-quality care and education for all children. The nursery is packed full of varied, interesting and exciting activities. These help children develop their skills and keep learning. Staff pay close attention to children's own interests but also introduce them to new opportunities as well.
• Communication and language are a priority. Staff spend time in back-and-forth conversation with children. They introduce children to new words while they play, and through sharing books and singing songs with them. Children clearly have well-loved favourites. Some children are so enthusiastic about reading that they sit on a chair like an adult, holding a book open for other children to see, and talking about the story. Children enjoy writing for a purpose. For example, they make really good attempts to write their name on their artwork.
• Staff develop children's number skills well. No opportunity is missed to get the children counting, including routine activities. For example, setting the table for lunch gives them the chance to count the knives and forks, and to think how many more cups they will need so all their friends can have a drink. Outside, the mud kitchen is used to introduce children to measuring and deciding on the capacity of different vessels.
• Children initiate their own play and are interested to play with a wide range of resources. For instance, they explore with construction toys and use their imagination to build a pretend 'sheep pen'. They complete jigsaw puzzles and create Christmas decorations from salt dough. However, occasionally, staff miss opportunities to help children make predictions and test their ideas through their own trial and error.
• Staff manage children's behaviour well. They are patient, speak calmly and ensure that children have a clear understanding of what is expected of them.
• Children refine their small-muscle skills as they cut out paper shapes with scissors and carefully use play dough tools such as rollers and cutters. They learn to take responsibility for their own needs. For instance, they put on their own coats and boots and learn to wash their hands. These experiences help children to gain independence and develop perseverance.
• The manager completes supervision meetings with staff to review their performance, well-being and children's progress, to ensure that children receive good-quality education and care. She offers staff guidance and makes sure that they maintain their continuous professional development to keep their knowledge and skills current.
• Parents are delighted that the nursery is so inclusive and focuses on the individual needs of their children. Families receive a very warm welcome and are actively encouraged to help with their child's development. Strong relationships and building trust underpin the nursery's clear approach to working in partnership with families.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• enhance further the opportunities that help children to test their ideas through their own trial and error.