Bright Horizons Beacon Road Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are happy and settled in this warm and welcoming nursery. They arrive eager to take part in the wide range of activities provided. The ambitious curriculum is planned to take into account both what children already know and can do and reflect their particular interests. For example, children enjoy exploring toy dinosaurs and sea animals, as well as using real fruit and vegetables during role play. Activities such as these, spark children's imaginations.

Children feel safe and secure. Staff know them well, responding swiftly to their needs. Children who need time to regulate, for example, can benefit from using the nursery's new sensory room. This provides a calming and supportive environment, helping children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), to re-engage confidently in their learning.

Children's enjoyment of learning is at the heart of this nursery. Leaders and staff foster a positive atmosphere, where children's curiosity and enthusiasm are celebrated. As a result, children develop confidence, resilience and a love of learning that prepares them well for the next stage in their lives.

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

• Overall, leaders and staff plan activities that capture children's interests and build on what they already know and can do in exciting ways. For example, children enjoy playing in the role-play area, making play dough and measuring water in the outdoor mud kitchen. Children are immersed in imaginative play, develop their problem-solving skills and play amicably together.
• Staff place high priority on developing children's communication and language skills, including through reading and singing. Staff read stories that help extend children's vocabulary. Children listen attentively and remain engaged, settled and focused. Opportunities for reading are 'as and when' children want to hear stories. A book lending library enables children to continue their enjoyment of the books they read at nursery at home.
• Developing children's independence is a consistent focus. Children are supported to wipe their own noses and tidy up resources after use. Children are encouraged to clean any resources that have become dirty using water, soap and a cloth. Routines such as these help children to learn about responsibility and to take pride in their achievements. This helps children effectively in preparation for the next stage in their lives.
• Generally, children behave well and know what is expected of them. However, at times, some children do not fully adhere to these expectations, such as when they run and shout while playing indoors. Staff use effective strategies to help resettle and refocus children at such times. However, approaches to behaviour management are not consistently and effectively delivered by all staff.
• Effective partnerships with parents start to be established even before children attend the nursery. Staff find out about children, including their needs and interests, through for example 'All About Me' books and meetings with parents. Similarly, strong links are established with other settings that children have previously attended. This helps achieve a smooth transition into nursery and supports good continuity in children's care and learning. Parents say that staff keep them well informed about their child's learning, including through using technology and verbal communication.
• The newly appointed nursery manager has introduced some new approaches aimed at further strengthening staff practice around curriculum planning. This includes for example daily huddles, where staff share important information, and a planning board that captures children's interests and helps staff to plan children's next steps in learning more effectively. Making sure that children's views are taken into account also plays an important role in this process. However, these new approaches are not yet fully embedded or effective across all curriculum areas and among staff.
• Leaders have identified both their own and staff's strengths and professional development needs. This is being used to ensure that any appropriate training is identified and undertaken. Staff's well-being is taken into account. Staff enjoy working at the nursery and morale is high.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• ensure that all staff consistently support the nursery's expectations of children's behaviour so that children learn to adhere to them at all times
• embed new approaches to curriculum planning across all areas of learning and ensure that all staff develop the skills needed to make a fully effective contribution to doing so.