Bright Sparks Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children arrive excitedly and express their keenness to attend, as they happily wave goodbye to their parents at the door. They confidently hang up their belongings on their peg, highlighting that they feel comfortable and safe in this friendly and inclusive nursery. Children build trusting attachments to staff. Staff get to know children before they start and spend individual time with them. All children benefit from an effective key-person system, which means staff identify and plan for individual children's next steps in learning. For example, when several children are at the same activity, the younger children have the same opportunities to develop their scissor skills. Staff attentively hold paper for them to cut and model how to hold scissors correctly.

Real-life experiences and continual access to outdoor play, enhance and inspire children's natural curiosity to learn about the world around them. During the current theme of 'bugs', children experience caring for and nurturing caterpillars and how to treat living creatures with care and respect. When the butterflies are released, staff explain how delicate their wings are. In response, children sensitively provide space for the butterflies to safely fly away. Staff praise their positive behaviour which reinforces the kind and respectful behaviours expected of them.

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

• Children highly anticipate trying new things and immerse themselves in the stimulating activities provided. Children demonstrate their motivation and passion to learn and succeed. For example, when children begin to draw a sunset picture, they independently check the colour chart on the wall to make sure when mixed together, red and yellow make orange. Staff praise them for their creative thinking and for solving problems themselves. This helps boost children's self-esteem and encourages their further independent learning.
• Staff's sound knowledge of children's next steps means they adapt activities to extend individual children's learning. For example, during a messy, foam activity staff introduce various sensory materials such as cooked and dry spaghetti. This fosters children's imaginary play as they giggle and pretend the soft spaghetti is worms. Children who speak English as an additional language are developing confidence to use new descriptive words, such as 'slimy', in this fun and interactive activity.
• Skilful staff are tuned in to children's emerging language and they use Makaton sign language to enhance children's social communication skills. Staff's careful consideration of using books, further extends children's vocabulary. As a result, all children make good progress in their speech and language development. However, occasionally, staff do not consistently provide enough time for children to respond to questions, so that children can practise and fully extend their speech and language skills.
• Staff model kind and respectful behaviours which children emulate, as they play cooperatively with their peers. Small focus groups help children recognise and accept the needs of others. These groups provide opportunities for children to sing, listen to stories and learn new skills, such as turn taking. Children make jokes which demonstrates their developing sense of humour and self-confidence in social situations.
• Children are developing many of the key skills they need in preparation for early reading. For instance, they learn to recognise their names at self-registration. Parents applaud the book-bag system where they can read with their children and extend their children's learning at home.
• Children show they are becoming independent in managing their personal needs, such as washing their hands independently before eating. However, at times, staff complete tasks for capable children, such as opening food packets at lunch. This reduces opportunities for children to practise and become increasingly independent in their self-care skills
• Parents praise the superb progress their children make and how they feel part of a 'second family'. They appreciate daily updates about their children's progress and achievements.
• The supportive management team provides good opportunities for staff training and support. They work closely with staff to ensure any gaps in children's learning are swiftly identified and the right support is provided to ensure all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, achieve their best outcomes.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• focus on consistently supporting children to become increasingly independent in managing their self-care needs in preparation for starting school
• build on staff's questioning techniques to enable children to have more time to think, respond and verbalise their ideas and thoughts.