Branching Out

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are confident, active and happy in this caring and nurturing nursery. They sing songs throughout the day and read lots of books with staff, as they develop their exceptional communication and language. Children thrive on learning new skills. For example, they peel and chop vegetables to be used for lunch. Children delight in their opportunities to be creative. Some create paintings of butterflies while others make their own dough from individual ingredients. These activities help develop the small muscles in their hands needed for later writing. Outside is where children develop their whole body balance and coordination. They leap skilfully over the low wall into the nursery field, where they create challenging obstacle courses. Children walk the plank to the top of a tractor tyre which they then hide in. They use pallets as ladders or learn how to use wheeled toys. Other children practice yoga poses, which also develops their balance and flexibility. Children independently water herbs and vegetables they have planted, showing that they understand what plants need to survive. Children say of the nursery that they 'like playing all together' with their friends.

Due to the impact of COVID-19, the nursery is providing children with even more support to help them learn to socialise. This has resulted in more time being given to help children settle when they first join the nursery. This early development of close bonds with the staff means that children can express their emotions, which demonstrates that they feel safe.

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

• Leaders and staff give the nursery curriculum an integrated focus which teaches children about other cultures and communities. They use the first-hand knowledge of the staff team to introduce children to real-life experiences about other countries. They work closely with families so that children's cultural heritage is celebrated, introducing new languages and simple signing. These strategies combine to ensure all children are valued for what makes them unique and can communicate their needs from a young age.
• Staff focus the curriculum on developing children's independence. Children even get involved in risk assessing the outdoor area before play commences. Staff encourage children to follow their own interests, which staff then use to deliver learning experiences. Staff have high aspirations for children and help them develop their determination and resilience when faced with tricky problems. However, there are some limited instances where staff intervene too quickly. This sometimes means that they do not always give children the time to think, consider and propose solutions for themselves.
• Children behave very well. Staff use a range of strategies to help children learn how to regulate their emotions. This goes beyond the good modelling of manners and polite behaviour by staff. Children learn to become calm and relax during various mindfulness activities. They learn to express their emotions in more simplistic vocabulary from what they learn from books about emotions.
• Staff ensure that children benefit from learning about healthy lifestyles. They provide children with lots of challenging opportunities for outdoor play, educate them about healthy eating, and grow a wide range of herbs and vegetables with the children. They ensure that children are always provided with food which is healthy, balanced and nutritious.
• Staff are particularly skilled in threading the teaching of mathematics into everyday activities. They help children to recognise and count numbers in different contexts. Concepts such as whole and half are well understood by children, alongside knowledge of 2D shapes.
• Leaders ensure the well-being of staff. They provide staff with space to relax and put great stock in the holistic care of their team. Leaders hold regular supervision meetings to ensure that staff training needs are met. When asked about working at the nursery, staff members unequivocally say they 'love it'. They talk about the happy and relaxed atmosphere in which they work. Staff say the support they receive helps to boost their confidence and improve the quality of their teaching.
• Parents praise the nursery highly. They say that staff are 'an extension of family' and that the nursery is 'the perfect blend of caring family home and educational establishment'. Parents value the communication about their children's progress. They comment that the nursery is respectful of individual parenting styles. Parents of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities talk about how the staff 'do everything they can' for their children.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• give children more thinking time so they can fully process their ideas and formulate their verbal response.