Bright Horizons Fulham Wharf Day Nursery and Preschool

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children play and learn in a positive and caring environment. They have built strong relationships with their peers and adults in the setting. This supports their emotional well-being effectively. Children smile as they arrive and settle quickly into the routine. Staff form warm and caring relationships with children and value them highly as individuals.

Children are confident and motivated to learn. Staff ensure that they take time to get to know children well. They plan exciting activities based on children's interests. Children enjoy these greatly. Staff find out about home care routines for all children, which helps them settle easily into the nursery. Staff are clear about their expectations and explain why certain behaviours are not acceptable. Overall, children behave well.

Staff encourage children to value healthy routines, such as enjoying nutritious meals and snacks and undertaking daily physical challenges. Staff interact warmly with children during care routines such as nappy changes and while washing hands. They talk about what they are doing with the children, make eye contact and sing songs. This helps children feel safe and secure.

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

• Children have plenty of opportunities to develop their language and learn new words. They listen to stories and sing familiar songs. This means all children, including those who speak English as an additional language, make good progress in their communication and language development.
• Staff know the children very well and regularly observe and track their progress. They plan exciting activities based on children's interests, what they know and what they need to know next. Any gaps in learning are quickly identified. Overall, the curriculum is well sequenced, ambitious and challenging for all children.
• Children learn to keep themselves healthy and safe. Staff teach children how to use cutlery safely and explain why it is important to cover their mouths when coughing. They talk to children about risks and how to manage these safely, such as cleaning up spillages and picking up toys.
• Overall, children develop their independence and self-care skills well. They select the toys they want to play with, make choices and ensure that they tidy up afterwards. Staff help children to perform tasks such as putting on their coats and shoes. Children understand why handwashing is important. However, lunchtimes are not always as well managed as other routines in the setting. Staff do not always make use of all opportunities to develop and strengthen children's independence skills to extend their learning further.
• Leaders and staff support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities well. Staff work with other professionals and use strategies recommended by them to support these children. This ensures that every child makes good progress.
• Children build good relationships with their friends and staff. They focus on activities well. They are kind to one another and support each other when they need help. However, on occasion, children can spend a long time waiting during transitions. This can lead to unwanted behaviours, which can unsettle some children.
• Partnerships with parents are strong. Parents talk positively about the setting and the progress their children make. Staff update parents on what their children have done through daily discussions and the nursery app. Staff regularly share important information on children's progress and next steps for learning. Parents comment that this helps support their children's learning at home.
• Staff talk positively about leaders and the support they receive. Leaders encourage staff to make progress in their careers through participating in different professional development opportunities. For example, staff have completed qualifications in level 2 and 3 in childcare. This has had a positive impact on outcomes for children.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• make better use of routine activities and strengthen opportunities for children to extend their learning further
• review transitions for children to ensure that they are not waiting for long periods.