Bright Horizons Leatherhead Day Nursery and Preschool

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are happy and engage in the learning opportunities available to them. Staff read books and sing songs with children, which supports them with developing their communication and language skills. Children of all ages sit attentively as they listen to stories. When staff ask children questions about the story, they happily respond and are able to demonstrate their understanding. Babies enjoy moving their bodies and shaking instruments as staff sing nursery rhymes to babies. They frequently smile and make eye contact with staff during their activities. This shows that they have formed secure bonds with staff.

Older children go on a 'shape hunt' where they collect different shapes in their baskets. Afterwards, they talk about what they have found. Toddlers enjoy playing with wooden resources. Staff extend their learning by encouraging them to name the colours and compare the sizes of the pieces. They talk about which piece is 'bigger' and 'smaller'. As a result, all children gain an understanding of mathematical concepts.

Children choose to act out their own experiences and use props to support their play. For example, they take on the role of shopkeeper and customer and ask their friends what they would like to buy today. Children hand over their basket of items and they continue the process of buying food from the shop. This helps children to make sense of the world around them and to develop their imaginative skills.

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

• Staff, children and parents have had an unsettling time recently with a high staff turnover and temporary managers in place. However, staffing has become more stable and a permanent manager has been appointed. As a result, staff report that morale has improved greatly and that they enjoy working at the nursery.
• Leaders have a good understanding of child development. This helps them to know what they want children to learn as they progress through the nursery. Staff focus on forming secure attachments with their key children. They are aware that this supports children to develop the skills they need to make the transition to their next stage of development.
• Staff support children to enhance their independence. Children in the pre-school room serve their own lunches, pour their own drinks and feed themselves. Staff encourage children to use cutlery and help them to use their spoon to eat their soup. Toddlers enjoy the responsibility of helping to sweep sand up from the floor. They listen to the instructions that staff give them and wait while staff move furniture out of the way so that all the sand can be swept up.
• Staff plan enjoyable activities to teach children about different cultures and beliefs. However, these experiences generally take place in the setting. This does not fully support children to enhance their understanding of their physical world and community.
• Staff effectively manage children's behaviour. Throughout the nursery, children are friendly. They show staff what they are doing and invite them to join in their activity. Sometimes, children get frustrated when they do not want to share resources with others. Staff respond quickly by supporting them to regulate their feelings. Staff explain to children about taking turns and sharing. Most children demonstrate that they understand. When they get upset, staff offer them a quiet space to play in and allow them to choose another activity.
• Parents appreciate the staff at the nursery and the positive bonds they have developed with their children. Staff work in partnership with parents to support children with their development, such as toilet training and sleep routines. However, there is some inconsistency in the effectiveness of information sharing. While communication with most parents is good, some parents are not as well informed as others about the specific progress that their children are making. Therefore, at times, parents are not fully supported to extend their children's learning at home.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• extend the range of experiences for children to enhance their knowledge and understanding of the world
• strengthen communication with parents so that they all know how to access information about their child's progress, next steps and how to support their child's learning at home.