Bright Horizons Elm Grove Day Nursery And Preschool

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are happy and settled at the nursery and respond well to the friendly, caring staff. They have formed strong attachments with their key person. Babies snuggle into the staff for comfort and reassurance when they need to. Older children learn to be kind to their friends and resolve minor conflicts without adult support. This helps them to develop positive relationships with others.

Children love spending time outdoors. Their physical skills are developing well. They competently run, hop and ride their bicycles. Staff challenge children further as they suggest rolling hula hoops along the ground. Children cheer and jump up and down as the winning hoop crosses the finishing line.

Children are well behaved and develop positive attitudes to their learning. The exciting environment ignites their curiosity and eagerness to learn. Children have high levels of confidence in their abilities in social situations. They eagerly share information about their pet snails with visitors.

Children show good levels of imagination. They creatively use resources to make a spaceship, and enthusiastically sing together. Children are excited to explore the environment, whether they are playing with dinosaurs, making marks or pretending to be astronauts.

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

• The dedicated manager and her deputy show a strong commitment to the professional development of their team. This plays an integral part in the development of the nursery and how staff promote children's progression. The manager places a high priority on the well-being of staff, who feel valued, supported and love working at the nursery.
• There is an ambitious curriculum that covers all areas of learning and is implemented consistently across the nursery. All children, including those with additional needs, are successfully supported to make good progress in their learning and development.
• Staff know their key children well. They monitor their development closely and know what they want them to learn next. Staff plan activities and confidently explain why and how they think these will benefit the children. For example, younger children who are learning to walk are provided with a range of resources and opportunities to promote this. Older children learn about how they can keep the ocean clean and can confidently identify items that do not belong in the ocean.
• Children develop a love for reading from the outset. They huddle together in the tepee, listening intently as staff read their chosen stories. Staff skilfully incorporate mathematics at story time. They encourage children to count backwards from 10. Children show that they remember popular stories as they joyfully finish the sentences.
• Staff follow children interests and engage them in inventive ways that help them to learn about the world. For example, children make a volcano and predict that it will erupt. They contribute their ideas about how much of each ingredient they think they will need. Children use their existing knowledge to anticipate the moment it will erupt. They shriek with delight as they watch the lava spill over the top of the volcano. Staff introduce new vocabulary, such as 'dormant'. However, on occasions, staff do not allow children enough time to process what is being said to them to enable them to respond fully.
• Staff provide opportunities for children to try new foods and encourage healthy choices from a varied nutritious menu. Children enjoy delicious meals and practise independence by feeding themselves and washing their hands and face after meals. Staff are aware of children's specific dietary needs, including known allergies. They ensure that dietary information is collected from parents when a child joins the nursery.
• Parents speak highly of the nursery. They comment that the standard of care is exceptional and that staff know parents and children well. During the COVID-19 pandemic, parents were not allowed into the nursery. They compliment the support received from staff during those 'rocky' times.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• enhance opportunities for children to think and respond to the questions they are asked.