Bosco Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children arrive highly focused and eager to engage. They feel welcomed and safe. Children show high levels of curiosity as they cooperate with their friends. For example, young children take great delight in filling and emptying builder's hats with earth as they explore how heavy and light they are. Children independently find magnifying glasses to share with others to help them study the bugs and insects. Children's behaviour is exceptional. They learn new vocabulary as they thrive in the provision. For instance, pre-school children learn about different herbs found in Morocco. They find different countries on the globe and use all their senses to study the smells and textures of the spices. Children describe how the coriander and parsley feel 'spiky' and the mint smells 'spicy', developing their communication and language skills. Staff use their knowledge and experience to provide a stimulating and challenging curriculum. All children, including children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and children who receive additional funding, make secure progress in their learning.

Staff have high expectations of all children. Children are encouraged to develop their mathematical skills from a young age. For instance, babies each have a plastic duck and sing with staff, 'Five little ducks went swimming one day.' Older children count in Spanish when they line up to go outside.

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

• Overall, staff support children's independence skills. For example, children are encouraged to take off their coats and hang them up when they arrive in the morning. They feel proud of their efforts when they manage zips. Older children understand the importance of keeping hydrated and help themselves to water. However, at other times, staff do things for toddlers, like wiping their noses or finding their names during self-registration, which they can do for themselves. This would help build on their increasing independence and skills.
• The manager is ambitious and committed to providing high quality childcare. Although she follows safer recruitment procedures, not all staff files are monitored consistently. Staff benefit from peer observations and supervision to support and develop their practice. They comment on how well they feel supported in their role and well-being.
• The manager ensures that funding is used to support individual children's learning. Staff attend targeted training, such as for speech and language. They use their skills to help prepare children for the next stage of their learning.
• Children demonstrate wonderful self-control. From a very young age, their behaviour is exemplary. For instance, babies sit beautifully on the floor with staff during snack time. Older children enthusiastically join in with activities to explore and develop new ideas and skills. For example, they find extra chairs to pull up to the table so they can participate in making play dough. Children persevere with new challenges and want to succeed. They show determination as they try to cut the different herbs with scissors.
• Parents speak very highly of the nursery. They say that their children are learning all the time and making good progress. Staff support parents and children to have a highly positive attitude towards their similarities and differences. They encourage parents to come into the nursery regularly to share their skills and talents. For example, a father from Australia teaches children how to make traditional Anzac biscuits. Children develop their early mathematical skills. In addition, they develop their understanding of the wider world. Children are highly respectful towards different cultures.
• The manager works with professionals and the local schools to support transitions. Staff work in partnership with parents and keep them up to date with their child's learning and development, including children with SEND. For example, they share information about the book and nursery rhyme of the week. This enables parents to extend children's learning at home. Staff encourage children to build on their physical skills and develop a healthy lifestyle. Children develop a love of reading. For instance, they share stories and use props as they read in the tepee outside. Children take books home and parents borrow books from the outdoor lending library. Children develop their literacy skills.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• help staff to consistently support children to enable them to build on their independence skills further
• consider more closely what documentation and information is kept in line with safer recruitment procedures.