Bright Start Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children show they feel happy and relaxed in the calm atmosphere staff create at the nursery. They are supported by staff to feel emotionally secure. When children are upset, staff help children to name and regulate their different emotions in appropriate ways. Key-person systems are effective and staff meet individual children's needs.

Staff engage in thoughtful conversation with children. All staff take an interest in what children have to say, and how they feel. This helps every child to fully participate and feel valued. As a result, children have a strong sense of belonging and show they enjoy their time at nursery.

Overall, staff plan a curriculum that is fun and challenging. They build on what children already know and what they need to learn next. Children demonstrate they are curious and keen to try new things. Staff encourage children to develop positive attitudes to learning. This enables children to maintain excellent concentration and deeply engage in their activities across the nursery. Children display resilience and do not give up when they find activities challenging. For example, children determinedly persist at scissor cutting, hula hooping and blowing bubbles using large wands.

Adults competently model positive social interactions for children. Consequently, children are respectful, display good manners and play amicably together.

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

• Staff support children to develop their understanding of healthy lifestyle habits. Children participate in routine daily supervised toothbrushing. Staff provide age-appropriate activities that help children understand the importance of good oral hygiene and how they can prevent tooth decay. Staff make the most of outdoor play times to promote children's balance, coordination and large muscle development. Children actively climb up, down and across equipment. They enjoy playing on the swings and confidently steer and pedal trikes.
• Staff communicate high expectations for children's behaviour. Children line up patiently, take turns and share as they play together. They know they must always use their 'kind hands and feet'. Minor conflicts are short-lived and staff provide clear explanations for why some behaviour is undesirable. Children are extremely resilient and learn to quickly resolve their disputes and resume play without a fuss.
• Staff support children and encourage their deep involvement in learning. Younger children are completely engrossed in the sensory resources, staff skilfully talk about what they are doing, giving them new language to absorb.
• Older children have plenty of opportunities to mark make and do their own writing.
• Staff are committed to promoting children's independence. Children serve their own portions at mealtimes. They put on their high-visibility jackets before going outdoors for play. However, at times, staff's support for children's self-care is inconsistent. As a result, children do not master all areas of their independence to their fullest ability.
• Staff help children develop their understanding of personal safety. They talk to children about road safety as they leave the nursery to access the garden for outdoor play. Children know they must not leave the premises without adults to accompany them. They talk about traffic lights and what their colours mean. Despite this, the curriculum for personal development needs enhancing so children have opportunities to develop their understanding of online safety.
• Staff promote children's early mathematics skills well. They praise and challenge children as they explore the concepts of colours and shapes. Staff count with children during their play and interactions. Young children eagerly join in with number rhymes.
• Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are well supported. Staff seek advice from the nursery's special educational needs coordinator (SENCo) when they identify children who are making less than expected progress. Managers work alongside the local authority, to help to acquire any support that children need. Children with SEND achieve good outcomes.
• Parents are extremely happy with the care their children receive. They describe the setting as 'a place that prepares children well to move to school'. Parents appreciate how the staff take the time to update them on the progress their children make. They feel the advice and guidance staff provide on toileting and the impact of dummy use is invaluable.
• Staff feel there is a strong team spirit and work well as a unit. The manager's supervision meetings for staff facilitates discussions about their workload and professional development. Staff training around curriculum planning and child development is implemented well so children's language and communication is effectively promoted.
• Leaders have high expectations of the quality of provision. They continually review the learning environment. For example, they have developed the sensory room to provide a calm space for children to self-regulate.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• strengthen staff support for children's self-care skills so all children master aspects of their independence to their fullest ability
• enhance the curriculum for children's personal development so they have opportunities to learn about online safety.