Bright Skies Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are cared for with warmth, kindness and respect by staff at this welcoming nursery. The whole staff team gets to know children and their families extremely well. This helps staff to ensure that children's individual needs are met effectively. Children who have recently started receive plenty of support to help them to settle. Additionally, staff provide extra sessions for children who need more time to feel secure in the nursery. When children move to the next room, or on to school, they are well prepared for this. This is because staff have a clear understanding of what they want children to learn to help them to be ready for the next stage of their learning.

Children benefit from a highly stimulating learning environment, indoors and outside. Staff provide resources in the baby room to promote children's curiosity. Babies are encouraged to start to explore independently. They giggle with delight as they shake musical instruments and follow coloured lights during a baby disco. Toddlers develop their physical skills, for example as they pick up and post small items through tubes. They explore what happens when they shine torches on different surfaces. Pre-school children use their imaginations as they work together to build their own pirate ship outside. They then explain that they are going to sail to an island to find treasure. Throughout all of the interesting activities available, staff provide children with support, encouragement and praise. This helps children to become confident and independent learners. It also helps to promote children's positive behaviour.

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

• Managers have a clear understanding of what they want children to learn. They communicate this effectively to staff, who understand how to sequence children's learning. Staff in each room have identified the key knowledge and skills they want children to achieve. This starts in the baby room where the focus is on helping children to establish secure attachments with staff. This provides the foundation for their future learning. A strong key-person system means that individual children's next steps in learning are planned for effectively. This supports children to make good progress from their starting points in development.
• Staff are highly skilled at promoting children's communication and language. Babies are encouraged to vocalise. Staff speak to children clearly and make sure that they hear the correct pronunciation of words. Children are given plenty of time to talk. Staff use conversations at mealtimes to help children to listen to others and to take turns when speaking. When children are not making as much progress as they should with their speech, staff work with parents and other professionals to provide additional support.
• Children develop a love of books and stories. Staff read to children with considerable enthusiasm. Their questions help children to predict what might happen next and to think about how the characters might be feeling. Staff provide activities which often follow children's interests in favourite stories. For example, pre-school children develop their mathematical understanding when they pretend to order beds, chairs and bowls of porridge for the three bears.
• Staff promote children's good health effectively. Children enjoy plenty of time exploring outdoors. Staff talk to children about making healthy food choices. They provide nutritious and balanced meals. Staff prompt children to wash their hands before eating and after using the toilet. They discuss oral hygiene so that children understand why they must clean their teeth.
• Overall, children have opportunities to develop the skills they need to become increasingly independent. Staff use scooping and pouring activities to help toddlers to develop the skills to use cutlery at mealtimes. They encourage children to put on their own outdoor clothing. Staff plan routines which generally help children to know what is expected of them. However, in the pre-school room at lunchtime, staff sometimes have different expectations of what children should be doing. This means that some children have to wait too long to eat or are not able to serve their own food successfully.
• Partnerships with parents are a strength of the nursery. Parents say that their children are thriving and receive exceptional care. They welcome the effective communication they receive about their children's progress. Staff provide information to help parents to support their children's learning further at home.
• Staff work together extremely effectively. They discuss and share ideas and good practice. Regular training opportunities also help to keep their knowledge and skills up to date. Safeguarding training is prioritised, and staff demonstrate they know how to record any concerns they may have about children's safety. Staff say that leaders and managers are highly supportive. The new management team demonstrates that it is always reflecting on how to improve the nursery even more.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• consider ways to develop lunchtime arrangements for the older children, so that they understand what is expected of them and have even more opportunities to develop their independence.