Bright Horizons Maidenhead Day Nursery and Preschool

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are happy and well cared for in the nursery. Babies and toddlers form close bonds with staff, who provide lots of comfort and reassurance and meet their care routines consistently. This helps children to feel safe and secure. Children learn positive attitudes, follow instructions well and have good social skills. Staff set high expectations and are good role models. As a result, children are polite and behave well.

Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, staff have placed a sharp emphasis on supporting children to manage their feelings and emotions. For example, through a range of books and activities, such as the 'emotions metre', children are able to identify and describe a range of feelings. This is contributing to children's increased self-control and confidence.

All children benefit from a language-rich environment that builds on their communication skills. Younger children begin to link words together. Older children speak in complex sentences. Children are confident and curious individuals. They freely express themselves in a wide range of role-play activities. For example, pre-school children have good opportunities to be imaginative. They pretend to be at the shops and pay for their goods. Children learn to separate their pretend produce into healthy options, or foods they can eat occasionally as treats.

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

• The nursery has been through a period of change and faced challenges with recruitment in line with national shortages in the sector. Leaders have addressed this, are aware of the pressures on staff, and have a clear vision for the future of the nursery. Staff comment that leaders are available to offer well-being assistance as needed. Leaders have a clear vision for the learning intentions in each room. However, staff performance management is not sharply focused on developing some inconsistencies in staff practice to raise the quality of the overall provision further.
• Staff develop strong bonds with children and support their emotional needs well. For example, children who find it difficult to settle, benefit from having extra time with their key person. Children access comfort objects from home, such as their family books.
• Partnerships with parents are strong. Parents recognise how hard staff have worked during and after the pandemic. Parents say that they feel supported. They express how staff make sure that all children feel confident and secure at the nursery.
• Children manage their self-care skills well. They understand the routine of the setting, including following good hygiene practices. Children learn to serve themselves during mealtimes, including managing to pour water from jugs. Staff promote the importance of following a healthy lifestyle. This includes children growing their own plants and vegetables in the outside area.
• Staff know the children well and, overall, plan a broad curriculum with activities that they know children are interested in and will enjoy. For instance, staff support toddlers to make dough. Children are able to explore texture, use a range of tools and develop their language skills. There are a range of varied play experiences available to children. However, activities are not always planned to support children to achieve their next steps and, on occasion, lack sufficient challenge.
• All children show a love of books throughout the nursery. Staff's enthusiasm and expression capture their attention and develop their listening skills. Children who speak English as an additional language are encouraged to use simple words and counting from their home language during their play. This supports them to make good progress.
• Leaders are aware of the potential impact that the COVID-19 pandemic has had on children. They have identified that some children need support to develop their social skills. Staff are given the relevant support to develop their knowledge and skills to help children gain a greater understanding of behavioural expectations. Parents comment on the positive impact of this. For example, staff and parents adopt consistent strategies, such as sand timers as a visual aid, to support children's good behaviour.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• strengthen the monitoring of staff practice so that they receive coaching support that helps them to further improve the good quality of children's learning
• refine the planning of children's learning to ensure they are consistently challenged so they can achieve to the best of their abilities.