Bright Horizons Romsey Day Nursery and Preschool

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Staff welcome children into the nursery. They ensure that children are supported to settle so that they are ready to learn in the warm, nurturing environment. Staff encourage children to explore the well-thought-out activities. For example, babies shake musical toys to nursery rhymes that are being sung and explore photo books of themselves and their friends. They babble happily and move around the environment with encouragement and support from the staff. Staff encourage the older children to confidently seek out their friends and play together. For instance, children enjoy playing together using different-sized wooden bricks to build homes for the dinosaurs and talk about the noises that dinosaurs make. Children lead their own play, making choices and assessing risks. For example, they use crates and tyres to build an assault course in the garden. They work together to decide what to put next and check if it is safe. This supports children's learning and development.

Staff have high expectations for children's behaviour. They set boundaries for children and teach them how to manage their own feelings and emotions. For instance, children listen to each other and work together well. The younger children construct towers and wait for their turn to place bricks on the top, and the older children enjoy completing a large floor puzzle together. Staff are quick to praise children. They say 'well done' and 'good sharing'. Children are polite to each other and demonstrate good manners.

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

• The manager has a clear idea of what she wants children to learn and be able to do at nursery. The curriculum is well sequenced and, most of the time, builds on what children know and can already do. However, on occasion, what staff plan for children is not consistently implemented in practice. For example, staff hope that children will learn to develop independence skills, but do not consistently help children to achieve this. Instead, they often complete tasks for them, such as putting their coat on. This reduces the opportunities for children to learn new skills and be independent.
• Staff ensure that children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are well supported. For example, they use sign language and visual displays to support children's understanding of activities and everyday routines. Staff liaise closely with other professionals to share information about children's learning and development. This helps staff to actively plan to move children with SEND forward in their learning. Children with SEND make good progress.
• Staff provide inviting activities throughout the nursery and give the children opportunities to revisit previous learning. For example, children in the pre-school enjoy using screwdrivers to take apart an old telephone and a keyboard. They talk about what they learned last time and recall how to keep themselves safe. However, staff do not always monitor the noise levels indoors as effectively as possible. As a result, some children find it hard to concentrate on their learning. This means that, at times, children do not fully benefit from the activities that staff provide.
• The manager supports staff closely and nurtures a strong team ethos. They offer support to staff through regular supervision sessions. Staff are enthusiastic about their role and report high levels of morale. They evaluate their practice and make good use of training opportunities. For instance, they have regular team meetings, where staff share knowledge that they have gained from training.
• Children develop good communication and language skills. They delight in listening to and reading stories, and singing songs and rhymes. Staff use single words and associated sounds to support the youngest children's emerging speech. They engage children in meaningful conversations throughout the day. Older children talk about their experiences with their families. For example, they tell staff about the places that they have visited and what they did, and are encouraged to share their experiences with their friends.
• Staff form strong relationships with parents, who speak highly of the nursery. Parents comment on the 'lovely staff' and how happy their children are to attend. Staff share information with parents daily about their children's learning and development. They support parents to continue children's learning at home. For instance, they provide home learning activities and a book lending library.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support staff to develop children's independence skills more consistently throughout the day
• support staff to monitor and manage the noise levels indoors, to help children to fully engage in activities and concentrate on their learning.