Bright Horizons The Park Day Nursery and Preschool

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children of all ages demonstrate they are happy and settled in this friendly nursery. They are greeted by enthusiastic staff, who encourage them to follow age-appropriate routines. This supports children to settle swiftly in this nurturing environment. Babies form particularly close bonds with staff. They cuddle up to their key persons during interactive story sessions and seek them out for comfort when tired.

Children engage deeply in numerous age-appropriate activities in this stimulating learning environment. Babies delight at using their whole bodies to explore the texture of cornflour in a sensory activity. Older children re-create their favourite stories in the woodland trail and grow herbs and vegetables in the well-constructed outdoor area.

Children of all ages show high levels of independence. Staff support this by encouraging children to complete age-appropriate tasks with minimal help. For example, babies are learning to feed themselves and wipe their hands and faces during mealtimes. Older children take on roles of responsibility within their environment. For example, pre-school children take turns being lunchtime monitors. They place cutlery on the tables and pour water for their friends. This prepares them well for the routines of school.

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

• Staff throughout the nursery place a sharp focus on developing children's language and communication. Babies are regularly exposed to a variety of new and descriptive vocabulary. For example, staff use mealtime routines to model new language. They encourage babies to explore whether their 'crunchy' apples are 'sweet' or 'sharp'. Pre-school children develop an extensive vocabulary. For example, when exploring where various animals come from using a globe, children confidently use words such as 'continent' and 'sphere'.
• Children play an active role in planning their learning environment. Children in the nursery room vote daily for what activities to explore. Older children form a pre-school council. They attend planning meetings where they discuss what topics they would like to learn about. Staff use this information to create an environment that supports children's interests and learning needs.
• Parents are highly complimentary about the managers and staff and the care they provide. They praise the detailed communication about children's progress and routines and how this enables them to better support children's development at home. Parents comment on how their children thoroughly enjoy attending the nursery. They acknowledge how the well-established team of staff support children to settle well and make good progress.
• Staff sequence children's learning well. They revisit activities regularly to ensure new knowledge is embedded before moving on. For example, pre-school children are creating their own garden area. They have spent considerable time researching different flowers and vegetables. This knowledge enables them to select the plants that will grow and thrive in the environment.
• The manager is passionate about her role in supporting children's development. She reflects well on the care the nursery provides, making well-considered changes. For example, the manager has recently adapted the room structure in the nursery. This ensures the environment continues to meet the learning and safety needs of all children.
• Staff engage well with children during activities and routines. Staff in all rooms sit with children during meals and snacks. They use this as an opportunity to support children's understanding of healthy eating and appropriate behaviour. However, at certain points during the day, staff in some rooms can become preoccupied with completing housekeeping tasks. This can distract them from fully supporting children's learning.
• The manager places a sharp focus on supporting the well-being and development of staff. For example, she has recently established a peaceful 'snug' area for staff to reflect and relax in. The manager conducts regular appraisals on all staff to identify areas for development. Staff have access to a variety of online and face-to-face training opportunities to enhance their knowledge. However, methods of coaching are not yet robust enough to enable staff to identify areas to improve their practice.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• ensure staff plan the day to enable them to consistently prioritise children's learning over completing tasks
• enhance methods of mentoring to support staff to identify areas to improve their practice and raise the quality of their teaching to a consistently high level.