Bright Beginnings Childrens Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are warmly welcomed as they start their day in this friendly nursery. The positive relationships between children and staff are a particular strength. Children show they feel safe and secure. They quickly settle down to playing and exploring and are well supported in their learning and development. The indoor and outdoor spaces are inviting and accessible. This encourages children to explore their own interests and to deepen their curiosity and engagement with the world around them. For example, children smile with enjoyment and show deep levels of focus when exploring scents and textures in play trays.

The curriculum supports children in all aspects of their development. For instance, the baby room has been designed to allow babies to access all resources at floor level, encouraging them to crawl and explore the space. As children grow older, the environment grows with them. Table-top activities for toddlers are introduced to support the development of fine motor skills, such as by making marks with chalks. Greater physical challenges are promoted outdoors for older children, supporting gross motor skills such as balance and coordination.

Children learn how to be responsible and independent. For example, pre-school children undertake their own risk assessment activities and learn to identify hazards and communicate these to adults.

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

• Nursery leaders design the curriculum and learning environment to meet the needs and interests of the children. For example, sand play is provided for the toddler group, both inside and outside, as this is a keen interest of theirs. The children demonstrate strong mathematical skills as they explore the concepts of 'full' and 'empty' and recite numbers as they fill their buckets with sand.
• Overall, the structure of the day is thoughtfully considered to encourage the best outcomes for children. For instance, children are taken outside in smaller groups so they can benefit from closer interactions with staff.
• Children generally behave well, such as when walking up the stairs very calmly and carefully. However, there are some moments in the day when transitions between one activity and another are not planned well enough, such as during tidy-up times. As a result, some children are less engaged at these times, and the room becomes a little chaotic.
• Staff model language well. Children are taught specific vocabulary to help them to communicate their own needs, such as needing the toilet or wanting some food. Stories and singing are used to support children's language development. However, at times, staff do not fully consider how to encourage all children to deeply engage with story sessions. This limits some children's ability to concentrate and focus on the story.
• Nursery leaders ensure that assessment and planning are thoroughly considered in this nursery. Staff use their careful observations of children's interests and stages of development to plan for their next steps in learning. For example, an interest in Halloween leads to sensory play with pumpkins, which supports children's observational skills and vocabulary. They show high levels of curiosity as they explore and investigate the new textures and smells.
• Staff are caring and nurturing. This is particularly evident with younger children. During nappy changing routines, staff support children's social development by chatting to them with warmth and kindness. Cuddles are plentiful in the baby room, supporting the emotional needs of the very youngest children. Older children receive warm praise from staff, and they respond with proud smiles.
• Parents and carers speak extremely highly of this nursery. They say it feels like a 'home from home' for their children and that staff are approachable and always make time to talk when needed. The strong communication between families and the nursery greatly supports children's emotional development.
• The nursery is proactive in working alongside other agencies to support the needs of children. For instance, the special educational needs coordinator (SENCo) ensures that timely referrals are made for children who are not making the expected progress. Children with any additional needs are closely supported in meeting their targets through specially designed activities. Progress towards these targets is shared with parents and other professionals.
• Nursery leaders provide ongoing support to all staff through supervisions. Training is offered to staff on an ongoing basis. Staff say this helps them feel confident and well supported in their work.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• further develop daily routines to help children calmly move on to the next part of the day
• continue to develop strategies to support children's listening skills, in order to maximise engagement at story times.