Bright Eyes Hulme Park Explorers

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children enter this inviting and welcoming nursery confidently. They are welcomed by friendly and enthusiastic staff, who greet every child. Children settle quickly. They access resources independently on arrival, before enjoying group time. Staff get to know their key children well and thoroughly understand their learning needs. Children enjoy the responsibility of being chosen to complete routine tasks. They can be seen putting labels on their friend's water bottles. This helps children to feel involved and secure.

Leaders and staff provide a curriculum that encourages children to be inquisitive and creative in their play. Children become engrossed in more challenging activities to prompt their problem-solving and experimentation. For example, children discuss how water and paint change the colour and texture of different materials. Children are confident to test out their ideas and show pride in their achievements.

Children behave really well. They say please and thank you without being prompted. Staff praise children's good manners and friendly behaviour. Staff are excellent role models themselves. They stay close to the children, promoting a calm and respectful ethos throughout the nursery. Children demonstrate much happiness as they play with their friends and staff. They have positive attitudes to learning and make continuous good progress. Babies thrive in their warm, nurturing environment. They build very strong emotional bonds with their key person.

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

• The dedicated manager has provided a well-sequenced curriculum. This is supported successfully by staff's clear understanding of children's needs and interests. It builds on what children already know. This helps staff to consider children's next steps in development and plan focused activities to help them to move forward.
• The curriculum for the children's fine motors skills is planned and taught very well. Children develop their dexterity and hand-eye control when mixing play dough. However, opportunities for children to develop a wide range of large movement skills are more limited, especially during colder months. That said, staff ensure children have dance and yoga sessions, to promote their good health.
• Staff prioritise speech and language development and continually build on children's vocabulary. Staff sing to babies, comment on children's play and ask open questions to extend their thinking skills further. This helps children to make good progress in their learning.
• Overall, staff promote healthy foods and activities throughout the day. For example, children engage in role play using fruits and vegetables. However, staff do not discuss the benefits of making healthy food choices with the children during snack and mealtimes, to support their understanding even further.
• Staff provide children with opportunities to develop their independence skills through everyday activities. For example, children tidy up, chop fruit for snack time and fill up their own water bottles. This helps increase children's confidence and prepares them well for their eventual move to school.
• Partnerships with parents are strong and well established. Parents report that their children are happy and well supported with their care and emotional needs. Leaders provide parents with information about other services that they can access to support them and their families. Developmental assessments are shared with parents, so they can also support their children's learning at home.
• The special educational needs coordinator (SENCO) has a secure knowledge of how best to support children, parents and staff. The SENCO has effective strategies to identify emerging gaps in learning, and seeks additional support from other professionals when necessary. This helps children make the progress they are capable of.
• Staff undertake regular training to support their ongoing professional development. They are supported through regular supervision and receive clear targets from the manager. As a result, staff are skilled, knowledgeable and able to support children's learning effectively.
• Staff provide many opportunities for children to extend their learning within the local community. For instance, staff take children to the local garden centre for a toddler group, where they join in planting activities. This helps children to broaden their understanding of the world around them.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• refine how staff plan activities to ensure all children have access to rich experiences that promote their gross motor skill development
• embed further children's learning about the benefits of eating healthy foods, to promote their ability to make healthy food choices.