Brighter Beginnings Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Staff know that children learn best when they feel safe and secure. As a result, they spend time getting to know the children and develop positive relationships with them. Staff create a caring and nurturing environment in which children can grow and develop. The sound of children's laughter and conversations permeates throughout the nursery. Babies happily go to staff for comfort and reassurance when new people are in the room. This helps them to settle quickly. Children are inquisitive. They confidently talk to the inspector to find out what she is doing.

Children enjoy curling up with staff to read a favourite book. They eagerly retell the story of 'The Three Little Pigs', using a variety of props. Children are keen to demonstrate how the wolf blew the house down. Children behave well. Staff encourage pre-school children to create their own rules for the room. This helps children to develop an awareness of how democracy works. Children are polite to one another and use good manners. Through gentle reminders from staff, children learn to take turns and share their resources. Staff are intuitive and know when to step in to support children. This helps children to persevere at more complex tasks, such as walking over the stepping stones. Overall, children achieve their individual goals.

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

• The manager and staff work closely together to provide a balanced and sequenced curriculum. This supports children to make progress. However, at times, staff are unsure about what they want children to learn next. For example, they do not always identify the purpose of the activity and the expected learning outcomes. Therefore, children do not consistently make the best possible progress.
• Staff encourage children to develop good listening skills and to follow instructions. They introduce new words, such as 'squeeze', to children. This helps them to extend their vocabulary. Children develop confidence to use these newly acquired words in their play. However, support for children who are non-verbal is inconsistent, as some staff do not use children's preferred communication method. This does not help children to express their thoughts and views.
• Older children are confident to count to 10 and recognise numbers in the environment. They talk about the jugs being 'empty' or 'full' of water. Some children are confident to estimate how many more jugs of water they will need to fill the container. Staff also use songs and rhymes to introduce younger children to counting. These learning opportunities help children to develop a good awareness of shapes, numbers and early mathematical concepts.
• Children enjoy learning outdoors. They develop their coordination and balance as they explore the climbing frame and use a range of wheeled resources. Babies gain confidence to pull themselves up onto furniture. This helps them to develop the core muscles that they need for walking unaided.
• Staff help children to be as independent as possible. For example, they encourage children to put on their coats to play outdoors. Children capably serve themselves at mealtimes and pour their own drinks. Consequently, children develop many of the skills needed for future learning and school.
• Staff help children to learn about the importance of good health and hygiene. Children understand the importance of washing their hands before meals or after going to the toilet. Children explain that they need to have a drink of water because they have been running around outdoors. They benefit from lots of opportunities to stay fit and well.
• Staff work in partnership with parents. They also work closely with professionals to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Staff have forged strong links with schools to support the transition process for children moving to the next stage of their education. This helps children to settle quickly into their new surroundings when they move to school.
• Parents are complimentary about the nursery and the support that they and their children receive. Parents say that staff care about their children and keep them fully informed about their children's progress. This partnership provides consistency in supporting children's learning and development.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• help staff to implement consistent strategies to communicate with children who are non-verbal
• strengthen staff's understanding of the curriculum so that they are clear on what they want children to learn next.