Bright Start Nurseries Ltd.

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are safe and happy in this warm, welcoming nursery. They have secure attachments with the kind and caring staff. Children eagerly join in with the wide range of activities and enjoy their time at the setting. They show high levels of engagement in activities of their own choosing. For example, children use various construction vehicles as they play, and mix sand with water for diggers to move.

Children behave well and enjoy playing alongside their friends during role play. For example, they collaborate well as they use a microwave in the home corner. Babies develop their physical skills as they navigate wooden bridges and bang on musical instruments. Children experience a range of sensory activities. For example, older toddlers run their fingers through oats and manipulate play dough as they make 'Gruffalo crumble'. Children make good progress, preparing them well for the next stage of development or school.

Children are well behaved and polite. They know what is expected of them and carefully follow the rules and boundaries that are in place. Staff teach children about respect and tolerance towards each other. Older children enjoy taking on additional responsibilities, such as helping at lunchtime. Children wear a yellow sweatshirt to show that they are a helper and they talk with pride about their role.

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

• The leadership team and staff provide a curriculum that follows children's interests and the development of the skills they will need for future learning. Staff assess children's abilities and use the information to provide activities and opportunities to enhance children's learning. They find out what children already know and can do, and plan a varied curriculum. Staff add resources to enhance children's learning. For example, when a child bangs on a metal container, they swiftly encourage them to try hitting a wooden board to compare the sounds.
• Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are supported effectively. The special educational needs coordinator works well with parents and professionals involved in the children's care to fully support them to achieve. Targeted group work has been introduced for children who have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. This is helping to improve outcomes for these children.
• Partnerships with parents are good. Staff share what children are doing and learning on a daily basis and through regular assessment updates. Parents speak very highly of the setting. They praise the welcoming, friendly and dedicated staff. Parents say they are kept informed about their children's day. They can see the progress their children are making, especially in their confidence, independence and social skills.
• Literacy skills are well supported. For example, even very young children are fascinated as they cuddle up to staff to look at books and turn the pages. Older children predict what will happen next in their favourite, familiar stories. For example, they retell the story of the 'Three Little Pigs' confidently. Children's understanding of counting and number is promoted well. However, staff do not take advantage of opportunities to further extend children's learning in mathematics, specifically their understanding of concepts such as space, shape and measure. For example, the shapes and sizes of buildings.
• Healthy food is prepared daily on site and children eat with enjoyment. Staff model how to use cutlery and support children's social development. Children become increasingly independent as they learn to use cutlery and manage their own personal care. Children have opportunities to enjoy fresh air. They develop their large-muscle skills as they run and play outside. However, the outside area does not yet fully support opportunities to learn across different areas of the curriculum.
• Members of the leadership team work closely together to continually review and develop the setting. They are aware of the strengths and areas for development and a plan for improvement with clear timescales. Staff feel well supported and have a voice in supporting the setting to improve. They have regular training, which is effective in improving outcomes for children. For example, staff have recently accessed training in autism. As a result, appropriate strategies are now used with individual children to aid their learning and development.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• enhance the outside area to increase the learning opportunities for children, particularly for those who prefer learning outdoors
• extend children's good mathematical skills, supporting staff to recognise and build on the opportunities that occur in children's everyday play and activity.