Bright Start @ Bransholme

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are greeted warmly by staff and confidently settle into the routine of the nursery. Staff promote children's well-being. For example, as children arrive, staff encourage them to share how they are feeling using an emotions board. This gives staff the opportunity to understand children's behaviour to support and nurture them throughout the day. Staff have high expectations of children's behaviour. They carefully encourage children to reflect on their actions to help them to regulate their behaviour. This helps children to feel safe and secure.

The manager and staff are passionate that all children receive a curriculum that helps them acquire the skills and knowledge they need before they start school. They offer a wide range of learning experiences to secure children's learning in areas that some children may not normally experience. For instance, they provide outdoor play activities which include building homes for hedgehogs or experimenting how best to melt ice. Children show curiosity and wonder as they pretend to take x-rays within a pretend vet's surgery. They learn words such as 'skeleton', 'x-ray' and 'bones'. Children determine which animals are shown on the x-rays that staff show them. They make good progress in their learning.

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

• Leaders have developed a stimulating learning environment that is thoughtfully resourced to meet the needs of all children. Staff set up inviting activities that succeed in engaging children. For example, younger children pour coloured rice over pretend sea animals. Older children use clay to create the skeletons and bones they have seen on x-rays. Staff enthusiastically support this play, offering encouragement and praise. Children become confident and resilient learners.
• Overall, staff encourage children's communication and language development. They give children lots of time to engage in conversations. Some children enjoy listening and joining in with stories. However, staff do not ensure that all children choose to listen to stories or join in with songs and rhymes. This limits children's access to new and interesting words and does not promote the wonder and imagination of stories.
• Children from a young age confidently serve their own food, choose their snacks and get themselves ready to play outside. Staff teach children the importance of independent self-care skills. Children wash their hands before and after food. They wipe their own noses and wash their hands after toilet routines. As a result, children demonstrate excellent independence skills.
• The special educational needs coordinator is experienced in her role and knowledgeable about children that require additional support. She works closely with staff and external agencies to provide a wonderful calm and nurturing environment. Experienced staff ensure that children receive timely interventions and targeted support to meet their individual emotional and developmental needs.
• Staff provide children with a variety of healthy and home-cooked meals prepared fresh on the premises. They are aware of children's allergies and dietary requirements when serving food and ensure that these are adhered to.
• At mealtimes, staff have not considered how long children are required to sit waiting between courses and to brush their teeth. This sometimes results in children becoming restless and bored, and not engaged in meaningful learning opportunities.
• Children learn about good oral health. They are encouraged to brush their teeth after mealtimes. In addition, children access resources to practise their skills and learn about the role of the dentist. This helps children to understand about good health practices.
• Parents are very happy with the care and education that their children receive and are complimentary about staff. They comment that they feel fully informed about what their children enjoy doing every day. Furthermore, parents appreciate the home learning packs that staff provide, which give them ideas of how to continue their child's learning at home.
• Staff are well supported in their roles. Leaders and managers ensure that staff have access to a wide range of training, so they continually develop their knowledge and skills. New staff receive an in-depth induction to enable them to fully understand their roles and responsibilities. Staff say they appreciate the focus on their well-being and love being part of the team.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• extend children's language and vocabulary skills further, such as through storytelling, songs and rhymes
• consider the length of time children which sit after mealtimes so that they are quickly engaged in meaningful learning opportunities.