Brambley Cottage Day Nursery Ltd

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children do extremely well at this setting. Leaders have high expectations for all children and provide unique experiences to develop their knowledge. Children visit the local supermarket to develop their mathematical understanding. They count items and pay for them. They visit places in their area. For example, on Random Acts of Kindness Day, a local florist provided flowers and they visited the pharmacy to meet the staff and hand out flowers. This teaches the children to be kind to others and about the roles of different people in their community.

Children settle well. Staff have an in-depth understanding of their key person roles, and this ensures that children feel secure. Children are reassured throughout the day by nurturing staff. Babies enjoy cuddles and nursery rhymes to soothe them.

Staff pride themselves on their strong parent partnerships. Leaders use parents' evenings to develop these relationships. Parents are involved in their children's learning. Leaders invite parents who are nurses and firefighters into the setting to teach the children about their roles. Leaders make swift referrals for children who need additional support, communicate this with parents, and ensure that early support plans are organised, so children do not fall behind.

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

• Children's interests are followed to extend their learning. Children use tubes as binoculars and staff use this spark to build on and strengthen knowledge. They provide binoculars, explain how to use them, and take children to watch birds in the garden. They feed the birds and incorporate language such as 'swoop' and 'surveying the ground'. Staff help children use books to name the species of birds they can see. This deepens children's understanding of the world around them.
• Physical development is a focus of the setting. Leaders train staff to understand the importance of outdoor play. Here, children can challenge themselves physically, for example, by climbing and balancing on ladders. Inside, there are lower-level tables in the younger rooms to encourage children to pull themselves up. This helps to develop the skills needed for walking. A variety of resources for making marks are available in each room. For example, chunky chalks are available for younger children and thin paintbrushes for pre-school children.
• Staff report feeling supported, and that managers listen to their views. Leaders monitor staff's workloads, which are regularly evaluated and any changes put in place. Staff feel this is beneficial to their well-being and mental health.
• Children are encouraged to be independent. Toddlers serve their own food, needing little help from adults. Babies are encouraged to begin feeding themselves. Children feel a sense of pride when they have achieved something they have been working on, for example, when being able to put their own coats on. Staff celebrate children's achievements with them. This makes children feel valued.
• Babies are encouraged to explore sensory activities. Staff dye natural yoghurt for children to explore. They adapt activities so that all children can join in. For example, children who are unsure about messy play can still explore textures in bags and containers. Staff model how to press the bags to feel what is inside. They shake bottles containing different materials to hear the sounds they make. Babies repeat these actions and smile.
• Staff continually develop children's language and communication skills. They introduce new vocabulary, such as 'pestle and mortar', when making potions. Staff explain how to 'squeeze and stamp' herbs and ask what they smell like. Staff use questions that invite a variety of different answers. For example, when pretending to be in a hospital, they ask, 'What do you think?' when answering children's questions. This encourages children to have their own ideas and to express these, to continue their learning.
• Parents are happy with the care provided at this setting. They can share ideas about their child's learning and home experiences through an app. For example, parents are given an opportunity to communicate that they are expecting another baby. Staff use this information and introduce new resources into the room, such as dolls, modelling how to care for them. Parents feel that this supports children in welcoming a new sibling.