Briar Dene Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children run happily into the nursery, separating from parents with ease. They have lovely relationships with staff, who get to know them well. Children are confident in the environment and know the daily routine. Staff are clear about their expectations for positive behaviour and remind children about the importance of sharing and taking turns. Staff quickly recognise when children are becoming overwhelmed and need more support to regulate their emotions. This helps children to feel secure and promotes their emotional well-being.

Overall, staff implement a broad and interesting curriculum that helps children to make progress. They sing songs and rhymes throughout the day that complement what children are learning. For instance, when playing in the water, staff sing songs about fish and use a toy fish as a visual representation. This helps to support children's understanding, particularly those who need extra help with their communication and language development. Staff introduce new words, such as 'spikey', 'smooth' and 'crunchy', to help describe items from the autumnal exploration tray. They encourage children to copy new words and use them in their play. Children are fluent communicators and have a good understanding of how back-and-forth conversations are structured.

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

• In the main, leaders plan the curriculum effectively, and staff typically understand what they want children to learn next. They plan enjoyable activities based on children's interests. However, during group activities, the curriculum is not appropriately sequenced for all children. For instance, staff teach children who are not yet speaking confidently to recognise and pronounce letter sounds. This does not help children to develop new skills and knowledge in the correct order.
• Staff monitor children's progress throughout each month to identify any gaps in learning. They adapt their planning and implement strategies, such as objects of reference, to provide more targeted support to children who need it. Leaders make timely referrals to outside agencies to ensure children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) receive the professional help they need. Children with SEND make progress from their individual starting points.
• Children have a lovely attitude to learning. They show good levels of engagement, particularly when taking part in water play experiences. Younger children practise pouring water from one container to another. Older children explore and make predictions about which objects, such as conkers and acorns, will float and sink. Children concentrate well and demonstrate an eagerness to learn.
• Staff support children to develop good levels of independence. Children butter their own toast and use jugs to pour milk. They learn to unzip their coats, wash their hands and use the bathroom independently. Children are keen to do things for themselves, which boosts their confidence and self-esteem. They are developing some of the skills needed for their move to school.
• Children demonstrate good physical skills and strength. They use the climbing equipment, such as ladder steps, with ease. Children use the balance bike confidently and navigate a narrow beam skilfully. They are eager to be in the outdoor area and access a range of equipment and experiences that promote their physical health and well-being.
• Overall, partnership working is effective, and parents are happy with the quality of care provided. They receive some general feedback on their child's day and access an online application for information about the curriculum. However, parents do not always receive information about children's individual next steps, specific support they receive or how they can extend learning at home. This does not ensure continuity and consistency in children's care and learning.
• Leaders consider what prior experiences children have when planning their curriculum. They recognise that some children have never been on a bus and others have never seen real money in the physical form. They plan outings, such as bus rides and visits to the shops to buy groceries, to narrow these gaps in experiences. This broadens children's understanding of the world in which they live.
• Staff are happy and feel supported in their roles. They receive some feedback on their practice and attend training. However, there are some inconsistencies in the quality of practice. Some staff are unsure about typical stages of development and do not recognise when some children need more support to engage in purposeful learning. This hinders the quality of education some children receive.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• strengthen the sequencing of the curriculum for whole group activities to help all children learn new skills in the correct order
• provide parents with more precise feedback on children's next steps and how they can support learning at home
• build on the programme of professional development to enhance staff knowledge and provide more consistency in the quality of education.