Bramleys Day Nursery And Nursery School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The manager plans the curriculum that children follow and shares this with staff. Staff focus on helping children to become sociable, and as they get older, to gain the skills that they need for when they go to school. Overall, staff know how to promote children's learning and follow what interests them most. For example, when children find a caterpillar and want to study it and learn more about it, staff actively encourage this. Staff observe children and monitor their development effectively. All staff know children well and understand what they need to learn next. Consequently, they have good levels of challenge and this helps to motivate them. Staff know how to manage children's behaviour positively. They create a calm and warm environment where children learn through praise and support to understand their emotions and feelings.

Children stay in their peer groups as they progress through the nursery rooms. This helps them to develop close relationships with each other. Older children have firm friendships and play together well, showing concern and fondness for each other. Staff understand that when babies are new to the setting, some find it difficult to separate from their parents. When babies are upset and crying, staff are highly attentive to them and offer plenty of comfort and reassurance. This helps them to settle and enjoy their time at nursery.

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

• Staff successfully support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. They develop well-understood plans along with other professionals to help shape the curriculum, focusing on any areas where children need extra help. As a result, children with special educational needs and/or disability are making good progress.
• Children's physical development is particularly good, and there is a wide range of opportunities for them to test out what their bodies can do. Older children take great pleasure in completing an assault course in the garden. Babies move around the room, tentatively holding on to furniture as they learn to walk. Children enjoy eating the runner beans they have grown in the garden and learning about why some other vegetables did not grow successfully. This increases their awareness of healthy eating and the components that help them to grow too.
• Staff support children's emerging communication and language skills well. They understand the importance of not only modelling language through talking with children but also spending time listening to what children have to say. This teaches children that what they say is important and it increases their desire to talk.
• In the toddler room, during lunchtime preparations, staff do not deliver the curriculum consistently well. Staff tend to contain children on the mat area and give them lots of verbal directions. Some children become distracted and do not engage or seem to know what staff expect from them during this time.
• Children are curious and inquisitive. Older children ask questions and show great interest in the world around them. Babies show their confidence as they crawl around the room under the reassuring supervision of staff who care for them.
• Staff do things for children that they are capable of doing for themselves. For example, staff lift them up steps they can easily climb, put aprons on for them and hold them to wash their hands under the tap. Staff know it is important for children to develop independence and this is part of the curriculum intent. However, delivery of this aspect of the curriculum is inconsistent.
• Movement of key persons into different rooms means that children sometimes miss out on having daily contact with their special person to help boost their sense of security.
• Staff exchange information with parents and gain their views using an electronic application. Children take home a cuddly toy bee and families share photographs and stories about the bee's time spent with children. This helps staff get to know more about children and learn about their experiences away from the nursery.
• Staff say they have a great deal of support from the leaders and manager. They feel there is investment in their future career and focus on supporting their good mental health. In turn, this creates a happy and committed staff team.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• review the routine of the day so that the curriculum is successfully delivered throughout and children have consistently meaningful learning experiences
• embed the curriculum so staff are more confident in supporting children to gain independence
• apply a more consistent approach to the deployment of key persons to help children to benefit from better continuity when developing these relationships.