Bright Horizons Cambridge Science Park Day Nursery and Preschool

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are happy in this welcoming and friendly setting. Babies are supported particularly well as they transition into the nursery and settle quickly. They have strong bonds with the caring staff, who know them well. All children benefit from a wide range of well-considered and stimulating play opportunities. For instance, older children mix liquids, such as honey, oil and coloured water. They combine them and explain that some are heavier and sink. Children learn the names of more unusual colours, such as 'indigo', as they describe the rainbow effect they have created. Children make good progress in their learning. Staff support them to explore with their senses. For example, they demonstrate how to use a pestle and mortar to release scent from herbs and flowers. Children combine these with dough to extend their exploratory play.

Children demonstrate a positive attitude to learning and a willingness to do things for themselves. They receive support from responsive staff, who carefully interact with them to develop their problem-solving skills. Staff engage in children's play and provide opportunities for them to test their ideas. Children are confident. They excitedly share their thoughts and creations with staff, who readily give praise for their efforts. This helps to motivate children to continue to try new things. Children listen to staff, follow instructions and behave well. They build good friendships and play cooperatively. Children show care towards each other and demonstrate compassion to their peers when they notice they are upset.

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

• The manager has a clear intent for the curriculum, focusing on children's confidence, independence and emotional security. She shares this with her staff team. This helps them to plan activities and experiences that work seamlessly across the setting. As a result, children make good progress and master the skills required for their next stage of learning.
• Staff encourage children's independence. They provide opportunities for children to make choices. Children enjoy taking responsibility in the daily routines, such as mealtimes. Children access their own cups and cutlery. They learn to pour their own drinks and use spoons and tongs to self-serve at mealtimes.
• Staff support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, and children who need extra help in their learning, well. Staff know their key children and develop targeted plans to help them make good progress. They liaise with other professionals. This assists staff to implement additional support to meet children's individual needs.
• Staff talk to children as they play. They ask questions to determine children's understanding and comment on their actions. Staff introduce new words, such as 'evaporate' as children explore the effects of the hot sun on water. However,
• Inspection report: Bright Horizons Cambridge Science Park Day Nursery and Preschool 2 15 June 2023 not all staff are ambitious in the language they use and there are some instances when staff do not pronounce words correctly. This means children are not fully supported in developing their wider vocabulary.
• Staff provide a good balance of child-led and adult-led activities. Children regularly hear rhymes and stories. They engage in small-group activities that support children's listening and attention skills. However, staff do not always take account of the differences in the levels of children's concentration and activities can sometimes be too long. Therefore, children lose concentration and are easily distracted by their surroundings.
• Parents speak very highly of the nursery. They describe staff as being 'kind and thoughtful'. They praise them for treating children with 'respect' and 'affection'. Parents of children who speak English as an additional language value the support their children receive and report that their children's spoken English progresses quickly. Parents receive a wide range of resources and guidance to support and extend children's learning at home.
• The manager values her staff team and focuses on their well-being. Staff report that they feel supported in their professional development and comment that their emotional well-being is supported exceptionally well.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• enhance staff understanding and practice of how to help children develop a wide and varied vocabulary and model correct pronunciation
• develop the organisation of group times and adult-led activities to ensure that all children are highly engaged and focused.
• Inspection report: Bright Horizons Cambridge Science Park Day Nursery and Preschool 3 15 June 2023