Bright Futures Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are happy and settled at this welcoming and safe nursery. They have access to a wide range of age-appropriate toys and resources. Children make their own independent choices during play. They show good concentration and focus in their chosen activities. For example, toddlers display perseverance when completing an animal puzzle. Staff give children enough time to engage with their play. This helps children develop positive attitudes towards their learning.

Children enjoy interacting with staff, who are affectionate and nurturing. They build secure attachments with staff. Children communicate with staff and go to them when they need comfort or reassurance. Staff give children lots of hugs and smiles. This helps children feel secure and promotes their emotional well-being.

Children confidently explore the outdoor area. Staff and babies enjoy working together to build a tower with small wooden blocks. For example, babies give the blocks to staff and say, 'take'. Staff praise children's achievement by saying phrases like 'good job'. This contributes to children developing a good sense of self-esteem and confidence. Toddlers use kind words and share toys with each other. For example, they happily take turns learning how to ride a bicycle in the garden. Children make good progress in their learning and development from their starting points.

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

• Staff promote children's health and well-being. Children enjoy a range of healthy meals, which are freshly cooked on site. They have daily opportunities for access to outdoor areas, which helps to encourage physical activity. Children play in the garden and nearby parks. Children strengthen their large muscles by running freely and moving themselves around on ride-on toys.
• Children's development in speech and language is supported effectively. Staff read stories to children and introduce them to new vocabulary. For example, children learn about the names of different animals, such as 'dog, rabbit, cat' and 'cow'. Staff speak clearly and use repetition of language to help children say words correctly. All children, including those who speak English as an additional language, communicate confidently with adults and their peers.
• Staff plan a variety of adult-led and child-initiated activities that cover the prime areas of the early years foundation stage. For example, during a planned group activity, children are given the opportunity to make musical shakers with bottles, pasta and rice. This helps them to share resources and develop their creative skills. However, some children become bored and lose focus in the activity, so the quality of teaching and learning is not always at the highest level.
• Partnerships with parents are strong. Staff keep parents informed about their child's development through various methods, including regular parent's evenings, daily feedback and an online application. In addition, staff organise workshops to support parents and carers. This helps to promote the continuity of care, learning and development. Parents comment positively about the staff and nursery.
• Leaders and managers focus on supporting staff's well-being and providing them with valuable professional development to extend their knowledge and skills. Managers support new staff through a comprehensive induction process to help them settle into their roles. Staff have a good understanding of their policies and procedures. The staff work well together, and there is a strong team spirit at the nursery.
• Children develop skills that they need for the next stage of their learning, especially school. Children show respect for each other and the staff and behave very well. Overall, they develop independence through daily routines and activities. For instance, children wash their hands and feed themselves at mealtimes. However, on occasion, staff do not always encourage children to practise their independence skills. For example, there are times when staff jump in too quickly and help children, to wear their shoes and coats, without encouraging them to try to do these for themselves. This prevents children's independence skills from developing to the highest level.
• Staff provide opportunities for children to develop their early mathematical skills. They use routines to practise counting together. For example, children count stairs on their way down for lunch and sing counting songs during circle time.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• strengthen planning of adult-led activities, to focus teaching more precisely on the interests and abilities of children, to develop their learning to the highest level
• provide more opportunities for children to develop their independence by allowing them time to carry out tasks by themselves.