Bright Explorers Day Nursery - Camberwell Church Street

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children develop close relationships with their friends and the staff who care for them at this small setting. Staff know children well and use their knowledge of children's interests to plan interesting activities throughout the day. Staff's understanding of children and their learning goals helps to make the curriculum ambitious and interesting. Children arrive excited to learn and cheerfully greet their friends and staff.

Staff have a good understanding of how to support children's emotional well-being. They have high expectations of children's behaviour and share their strategies with parents to implement at home. Staff speak to children calmly and help them to understand their feelings and manage their behaviour. Children learn how to regulate their own behaviour and start to understand the impact of their actions on others. This helps to promote children's happiness and emotional security.

Staff plan real-life experiences that contribute well to children's understanding of events beyond their immediate environment. For example, they turn the home area into a café, where children explore different roles. Children learn to be independent. They get a cup of water when they are thirsty, wash their hands before mealtimes, help to tidy up when they finish playing and become confident to manage their self-care. This helps to prepare children well for the next stage in their learning, including starting school.

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

• Leaders have developed an ambitious curriculum that responds to children's needs. They focus children's learning on supporting their independence, sense of self, making a positive contribution and opportunities for new experiences. For instance, at lunchtime, children take turns to help to set the table for their friends. This is a recent initiative, and children are still learning this new part of the routine. Staff patiently support children as they lay the cutlery and distribute cups. Children's pride is evident, as they beam with joy when these tasks are completed. They waste no time in calling for their friends to wash their hands and get ready for lunch.
• Children enjoy playing, both indoors and outdoors. Staff set up activities in all areas before the setting opens, ready for the day. Children can access the indoor and outdoor areas freely throughout the day. They fetch their coats when they want to go outside. Children are keen to demonstrate that they can put their coats on by themselves. Staff support children in the garden to challenge themselves and participate fully in all the activities available. This helps children to access all areas of the curriculum.
• Staff are calm and patient, and their approach to managing children's behaviour is consistent. Staff demonstrate the positive and respectful behaviour that they expect of children. Children understand that they have an important role to play in the daily routine. They help each other, for example, to put on aprons, share resources and tidy up. Children know they must walk carefully in the setting and be mindful of their younger peers. This contributes to a relaxed environment that supports children to concentrate on their learning and develop a sense of belonging.
• Staff make improving children's skills in everyday tasks a key part of the routine. Children take part in activities to prepare and serve food throughout the week, giving children opportunities to make and enjoy food together. For instance, children make their own sandwiches for snack time. They carefully butter their bread, add fillings and eat together. Staff and children talk about healthy food, eating well and growing strong. This helps children to make healthy choices in the future.
• Staff have the skills required to promote children's early communication and language skills. They speak to children clearly and at their level, giving them time to consider their response to questions. When staff identify that children have gaps in their speech and language development, they take swift action to address concerns and seek additional support if required. This supports children to develop good communication and language skills.
• Parents comment on the positive impact that recent changes have had on their children's behaviour at home. They say that communication in the setting was good and has become better in the last few months. Parents appreciate the conversations they have with staff about their children's progress and how they can support their children at home. This helps to provide continuity in children's learning. As leaders continue to embed recent changes, the staff team will continue to build its confidence and improve its teaching skills.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• embed procedures and practice fully to ensure staff's skills and the learning environment continue to promote children's good progress.