Bright Kids Bell Green

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children arrive happily at this friendly, nurturing nursery. Staff are attentive and sensitive to children's personal needs. Children form close bonds with staff as they feel safe and secure in their care. They settle into the nursery routines quickly, engaging in activities that have been planned to reflect their personal enjoyment. Children are supported to develop language and communication skills well. They learn new words and hear familiar words repeated as they sing familiar songs and join in with the accompanying actions. For example, as young children sing 'Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes,' they learn to identify and name different body parts. Babies smile and giggle excitedly as staff sing, 'bubble, bubble, pop!' As babies successfully reach out and burst the bubbles, staff smile and clap their hands in celebration, building the babies' confidence.

Children are active and develop dexterity and coordination skills as they happily run around outside in the fresh air. For example, they chase rolling hoops and throw and kick balls to staff and their friends. Young children develop confidence and build their arm and leg muscles as they are supported and encouraged by staff to climb ladders, before gliding down slides. Children demonstrate pride as staff congratulate their efforts and they run back for another go. Staff have high expectations for children's behaviour. Children behave well within the nursery as a result. They understand the 'golden rules' and follow the routines established across the setting. Staff support children to share and take turns when playing with each other.

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

• The managers and staff plan a curriculum that is sequenced on what children know and can do and what they need to learn next. They have a clear focus on children's language and communication skills and personal and physical development. Staff use timely observations and ongoing assessment of children's learning to plan activities and exciting opportunities in response to their personal needs. All children, including those with special educational needs and /or disabilities (SEND), make good progress as a result. The special educational needs coordinator and staff work closely with parents to identify and plan for any children that may need additional support. They seek and implement advice from the local authority early years team and other professionals to help provide the best possible support for these children.
• Children greatly enjoy their time in the nursery. Staff plan exciting learning opportunities for children to express themselves and develop their creativity. For example, they paint pictures to decorate Christmas cards and build houses out of cardboard boxes. Children develop mathematical understanding of size and shape. For instance, they are encouraged by staff to compare different-sized boxes and identify the biggest and smallest ones. Children demonstrate curiosity as they consider which boxes are big enough for them to climb into. They laugh and giggle as they test their ideas by climbing inside the boxes. This promotes children's critical thinking as they play.
• Children have access to a range of resources to help them develop their early mark-making skills, such as chunky chalks, pencils and crayons. Young children develop their fine motor skills by manipulating play dough, rolling it and pressing it into cutters to make different shapes. However, staff do not always fully interact with children to extend and develop their learning as they play alongside them. For example, children are enthusiastic when staff ask them to make them a delicious pizza out of play dough. However, children do not always receive the needed support to complete tasks and activities before moving on to another activity.
• Children start to develop independence as they learn to put on their own coats and wash their hands before eating their healthy fruit snacks. However, when children are asked by staff to help tidy away resources, not all children follow the request. Therefore, children do not always learn how to take care of their learning environment by looking after their toys and resources.
• Managers and leaders prioritise staff's well-being and continued professional development. They complete regular supervisions and staff comment how valued they feel. Managers and leaders regularly review how well the nursery is performing and identify any areas for further development. For example, managers have recently implemented a set of golden rules for behaviour and training for staff to enhance their understanding of how to support children's behaviour further.
• Parents speak highly favourably about the nursery and the approachable, accommodating staff. Parents appreciate the feedback they receive about their children's good progress. Parents of children with SEND are delighted with the professional support and provision put in place to support their children.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• develop the use of adult interactions during activities to extend children's interests and fully extend their learning
• support children to understand how to take care of their learning environment by helping to look after toys and tidy away resources.