Bright Beginnings Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children form positive relationships with staff, who know them well. Children show that they feel settled, secure and comfortable in staff's care as they confidently interact with them or seek cuddles and reassurance. Children's uniqueness is recognised and supported effectively. For example, staff talk to children in languages spoken at home by some families as well as English. Children behave well. Staff promote their understanding of respect and using good manners. Children develop awareness of their emotions and how to recognise their own and others' feelings. This helps children learn to respond sensitively to their friends. For example, a child offered a cuddly toy to their friend, to try and comfort them.

Staff demonstrate a good understanding of how to support and build on children's learning. Overall, they provide consistently good interactions to promote children's knowledge and skills. During planned activities, staff positively engage with children and introduce new vocabulary as they play and interact with children. This helps to extend children's communication and language skills. Children develop good levels of concentration and maintain a strong interest when exploring activities. Younger children and babies gain good confidence in exploring different sensory materials, such as sand, foam and cotton wool.

Children generally learn to take care of themselves well. They learn to brush their teeth and follow regular handwashing routines, such as before eating. Children gain confidence in managing appropriate risks, for instance when using large climbing equipment outside or balancing along a beam.

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

• The management and staff team understand the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on some children's learning. They have introduced effective support to help children develop their communication and language skills and to support their emotional well-being.
• Staff understand the intent of the curriculum. They have a good knowledge of children's learning needs, including those who need extra support. Staff plan children's next steps in learning effectively and take account of their individual interests. This helps children engage effectively in planned activities and promotes their good progress. However, at times of routine changes in both rooms, some staff focus more on the task, such as tidying up. This means that children are not always engaged purposefully for short periods of time.
• Staff say they feel supported in their work and well-being by the management team. The management team monitors and evaluates staff's practice well. They regularly work with the staff. This helps to model good-quality practice to staff. The management team securely identifies staff practice issues when these arise.
• The manager holds individual meetings with staff to review their work and professional development needs. A recently obtained online training package provides accessible training to staff, to help build on their understanding of good early years practice. Staff use their new knowledge from training to plan activities for children, such as those related to science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM).
• Children develop their independence well. They learn to serve their own food and pour their own drinks. Babies, toddlers and older children make their own choices about their play, such as from resources and activities. Staff praise and encourage children positively. This promotes children's confidence and self-esteem effectively.
• Staff encourage children to follow healthy lifestyles well, overall. Children have daily access to outdoor areas, which helps to encourage fresh air and physical activity. Children develop their large physical skills, such as learning to pedal wheeled toys. Staff encourage children to eat their healthy meals and snacks and to try new foods. They talk about the vegetables and how these are good for their bodies, to help them grow. At times, staff do not consistently raise children's awareness of keeping their noses clean or assist younger children promptly with this developing skill.
• The communication between parents, carers and staff is good. Information is regularly shared between staff and parents. Staff provide regular feedback about children's days, activities and development. This helps to encourage effective two-way communication. Parents praise the work of the staff highly and the support their children receive.
• Staff provide tailored support to children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, to meet their needs successfully. They work in close partnership with parents and outside professionals to support these children's individual needs consistently. Additional funding is used effectively, including to provide specific training for staff and one-to-one support for children.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• review how staff manage changes in the daily routine, to ensure these are managed to keep children consistently and purposefully engaged at these times
• build on staff's support for children's developing self-care skills, to help promote their further awareness of taking care of themselves.