Bright Horizons Hounslow Day Nursery and Preschool

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children enjoy spending time at this friendly and nurturing nursery. They arrive happy and quickly settle into the routine. Parents feel confident that children are safe and secure. Staff have high expectations of all children. They provide children with a range of stimulating activities. For example, babies have sensory play. They reach out to explore and feel the texture of cereal. Toddlers enjoy moving with staff to instructions that are contained in songs, such as to wiggle. Older children are learning how to be independent by pouring their own drinks. Pre-school children set their place at the table and scrape their plate, before carefully carrying their dessert from the trolley to place it gently on the table. To broaden children's experiences, staff take children to the shops to develop their awareness of where food comes from. They go to the local greengrocer to purchase fresh fruit to prepare and eat at snack time.

Staff have high expectations of children's behaviour, which is good. They provide activities to support an ambitious curriculum to grasp children's attention and sustain their interest. For example, children worked on a project together with staff to build a 'Gruffalo' out of boxes before painting it. This stands proudly as children name and make the sounds of the animals, sharing how 'owls fly at night' and calling out 'twit-twoo' and the snake's 'hiss'.

Children who need additional help or those with emerging special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are well supported. Staff and parents work together, supported by the setting's dedicated leaders, who link with the local authority to ensure that children make good progress.

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

• The key-person system is robust. New children are well supported as parents and the key individual complete 'All about me' forms, which help the staff begin to get to know the child. Parents feel reassured as information on routines, interests and dietary requirements is shared directly with the key person. They use children's favourite activities, and observations, to tailor individual arrangements to support the child as they settle in.
• Staff promote the emotional well-being of children. They develop strong bonds and relationships with both children and their family. Parents leave their children knowing that children are secure and happy. As children arrive, they are enthusiastic and eager to start their day.
• Staff focus on developing children's language and communication. Babies and young children have staff who consistently repeat the sounds and words they make. They build children's confidence, who begin to use single words in the baby room, progressing to short phrases in toddlers and speaking in sentences in nursery room.
• Pre-school children confidently participate in back-and-forth conversations, expressing their thoughts and ideas. They link their play to experiences they have had. For example, children in the home corner role play using a mobile phone, explaining that they are going to call staff in the office. They press numbers and wait before announcing, 'oh no, they are too busy and they cannot speak to me now'.
• Staff place children at the centre of their practice. They adapt activities promptly to provide experiences that focus on children's interests, such as introducing music and movement. However, on occasion, staff do not give clear instructions to children. At these times, less-confident children and those who need encouragement, stand back to watch, rather than joining in.
• Staff support children with SEND. The nursery has dedicated leaders who staff approach to highlight and share their observations and assessments of children with. Staff work with parents to devise individualised support. Leaders develop strong working partnerships with local early years advisory teachers, to ensure that children get the help they need.
• Parents are universally happy with the care and progress that children make at nursery. They say that staff feel 'like family' and they appreciate the homely environment that children experience. Parents express how their children are developing their independence and are prepared for their next stage in learning.
• Leaders and managers promote a curriculum that has high expectations for all children's learning. They support staff to provide activities and experiences that are linked to children's interests and play. To adopt new practice, training and support are provided. However, on occasion, staff are not sure how to use activities to link to children's individual next steps in development, by building on what children already know.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• help staff to make their expectations and instructions clearer, to support children's engagement and extend their learning
• support staff to implement the curriculum more effectively to better support children's individual learning needs.