Brighter Beginnings

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are keen to join their friends and staff when they arrive at the nursery. They are welcomed by the warm, genuine greetings from staff. Children feel safe and happy. They are eager to play, talk and take part in the many fascinating activities that the staff provide.

Leaders have established a well-thought-out curriculum. Starting in the baby room, children gain the essential knowledge from staff that they need to know. Children become skilful, knowledgeable learners. For example, they learn valuable knowledge about how to care for the nursery's pet bearded dragon 'Dino'. Leaders have high expectations for all children's learning. They make certain that staff include children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) fully in activities. Staff know children's individual needs in detail. They support children with SEND skilfully. Children with SEND learn the curriculum well.

Children learn about the joy and importance of sharing meals. Staff sit with the children and eat alongside them in an attractive, dedicated dining room. Music plays softly in the background, while staff have meaningful conversations with the children. Such unrushed, well-organised learning opportunities provided by skilled staff helps children to develop their social and communication skills well. Staff are expert role models and demonstrate to children how to use their manners and to be kind to each other. Children behave exceptionally well.

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

• Leaders have thought carefully about what they aim for the children to learn in each classroom. They have also considered the order in which staff should help children to learn essential information. Children learn much, including how to make friends, communicate well and be physically strong.
• Leaders understand the importance of building their curriculum around talk. They make sure that children's time at the nursery is full of conversations, stories and nursery rhymes. Most of the time, children learn well. However, support for children's thinking skills is less well thought out. On occasion, some staff over-use questions during interactions with children. At these times, staff do not develop children's thinking skills effectively.
• Staff support children who speak English as an additional language well. They introduce important words in English for children to learn. Staff monitor children's language development and assess their progress carefully. Children are beginning to develop their use of English to speak with others.
• Staff support children with SEND effectively. For instance, they break the curriculum down into small achievable steps to ensure that children succeed. Children with SEND make important gains in their learning.
• Staff help children to understand their feelings. For example, they use books, such as 'The Colour Monster', to introduce important words about how children might feel. Staff guide children gently to follow the nursery's 'classroom directions' about how to treat others. Children talk about their feelings and emotions with confidence. They behave sensibly.
• Staff build children's personal development skilfully. For instance, they play games with babies, such as 'ready, steady, go' when adults hide their hands in the sand. Babies are thrilled with the anticipation and excitement of such games. Babies at the nursery have high wellbeing and gain a wonderful foundation for their learning.
• Leaders guide staff expertly on how to develop children's knowledge about different cultures. Staff celebrate festivals with children in ways that are meaningful and memorable, such as by learning about different food, language and song. Children develop a rich cultural knowledge. They are fully prepared for their lives in modern Britain.
• Staff promote children's physical development well. They provide exciting and meaningful learning activities for children to build their core strength and balance. Staff ensure that children remain active for a good proportion of the day. Children learn about keeping their bodies healthy.
• Leaders and staff link well with other professionals, such as the on-site children's centre, in support of children, parents and carers. They highlight to parents any courses, resources or activities that may help each family. These links help children to succeed in their health, development and learning.
• Leaders value their staff. They are genuinely interested in how staff feel about their work. Leaders take action to support staff and to reduce their workload. They provide staff with the guidance and training that they need to fulfil their roles very well. Staff work very effectively to provide children with a successful education.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• strengthen staff's knowledge of their use of questions with children to build children's thinking skills.