Bright Horizons Purley Day Nursery and Preschool

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

This warm and friendly nursery helps children to feel happy and settled. The approachable practitioners provide a welcoming environment for children, parents and visitors. They invest time in understanding how to help children to feel comfortable and prepared for learning. The ambitious curriculum is designed to support children's development of the necessary skills for a smooth transition through the nursery. Practitioners possess a strong grasp of their key children's abilities and knowledge, which allows them to effectively plan for all stages of learning. Consequently, all children demonstrate significant progress.

Leaders and managers have a clear vision for what children should learn. They plan a broad curriculum that places an emphasis on children's emotional development, communication skills and independence. Practitioners support new children to form close relationships with their key person. They quickly get to know children well and become attuned to their individual needs and interests. This helps children to feel secure and settle in smoothly. Children's behaviour is good. They understand the expectations in the nursery and routines are consistent and clear. Practitioners interact with the children in a warm and caring manner, teaching them valuable social skills, such as sharing and taking turns. They also act promptly to provide comfort and resolve any conflicts that arise.

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

• Leaders and managers are passionate about enhancing children's learning and development. They implement an ambitious curriculum which is tailored to build on children's existing knowledge and capabilities. Leaders and managers continuously reflect on ways to help children to achieve better outcomes. They introduce new approaches and provide in-house training to support practitioners to deliver the curriculum to a good standard.
• Practitioners have a good knowledge of the children in their care. They identify each child's current learning stage and plan appropriate next steps for their development. The provision for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) is good. Practitioners work closely with parents and other professionals to provide a seamless approach to meeting children's needs and closing gaps in their development. They create individual support plans to target children's specific needs and support them to reach their full potential.
• Practitioners frequently talk and sing with children. They engage in back-and-forth conversations and teach them new vocabulary. For instance, at lunchtime, practitioners use words such as 'tangy' and 'sour' to encourage children to describe the taste of the food. Older children confidently express their views and younger children use single words and small sentences, while babies are exposed to language throughout the day. However, practitioners do not always consider the impact of prolonged use of dummies on children's communication and language development. They do not encourage children to remove them before singing or speaking. This can hinder children's speaking skills.
• The curriculum supports the development of children's early mathematic skills effectively. Practitioners provide play-based experiences to encourage children to expand their mathematical vocabulary. For example, they incorporate counting and early number concepts into the children's everyday play. Additionally, practitioners talk about mathematical concepts, such as size and quantity, during snack time and outdoor play.
• Practitioners create opportunities for children to become independent learners. They arrange resources so that from a young age, children can access them freely and make choices in their play. Practitioners encourage children to use the bathroom, serve food and tidy up after snack time. However, there are instances when practitioners perform basic tasks for children. For example, they assist children with putting on their coats, even when they are capable of doing so themselves or just require guidance, such as learning to pull their sleeves through when they are inside out. This means children are not consistently supported to develop their independence skills.
• Practitioners promote children's physical development through a variety of indoor and outdoor activities. They provide ample opportunities for all children to strengthen their muscles and motor skills. For instance, babies have open spaces indoors and outdoors to move freely and use equipment that supports their efforts to pull up, take steps and climb. Similarly, older children access a well-equipped outdoor space with a range of resources that allow them to develop balance and coordination as they navigate different levels and surfaces.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• provide further support for children's emerging language and communication skills, with particular regard to the use of dummies
• support children more consistently with their independence and self-help skills during everyday routines.