Brightsparks Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children play in a welcoming, safe and secure environment. They settle quickly and are happy at the nursery. This is because staff provide children with the support and reassurance they need, which promotes their emotional well-being effectively. Children are able to make choices about their play. For example, toddlers engage in sensory activities, including sand and water, developing their creativity and imaginations. Children play alongside or with their peers with increasing confidence. They are learning to distinguish between right and wrong.

All children enjoy a wide variety of activities, inside and outside, where they can develop important skills for their future education. For example, babies and toddlers practise their crawling and early walking skills during outdoor play. They hear everyday words and phrases, which builds on their vocabulary. Toddlers explore toy dinosaurs and learn to count to promote their early mathematical skills. Older children have opportunities to draw and write, in readiness for school. During group time, they learn to use the language of feelings, such as 'happy' and 'sad', to describe their emotions. This helps children to develop their emotional literacy effectively.

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

• The nursery continues to provide children with good-quality care and education. This is because the manager, who is supported well by the provider, reflects regularly on their practice to make positive improvements. For example, they are in the process of changing the way staff assess children's progress to avoid any unnecessary burdens on their colleagues.
• Staff observe children's learning regularly to identify and close any additional needs they may have. This has resulted in staff making referrals to support children, such as those with language, social and physical delays. As a result, children, particularly those who are disadvantaged, are able to make good progress from their starting points.
• Staff provide children with interesting and stimulating activities to keep them motivated to learn. However, during some adult-led activities, they sometimes do not take into consideration children's comments and spontaneous interests. This prevents staff from extending and challenging children's learning further.
• Parents find staff very friendly and welcoming. They give examples of how they and staff share information about their children's learning and care needs. This includes newsletters, emails and regular meetings. This two-way flow of information ensures that staff and parents work together for a consistent approach to children's education.
• Children stay healthy because there are measures in place to prevent the spread of germs and infectious illnesses. For example, they learn to wash their hands before and after mealtimes. They are able to rest according to their needs, to promote their mental and physical health. Children also have nutritious meals and regular opportunities for active play, both inside and outside.
• Children are learning about the wider world. For instance, they take part in nature walks within the school grounds, to observe change in their surroundings. They learn about the life cycle of animals, to raise their understanding of decay and change over time.
• Staff encourage children to be as independent as possible. One of the ways they do this is by giving children age-appropriate tasks, such as helping adults to tidy away toys and sweep the floor.
• Overall, staff encourage children's good behaviour. However, there are times when they do not give children clear messages on what to do or how to manage their actions. This does not fully help children to understand staff's behavioural expectations.
• Staff report that they receive regular supervision and support from the management team. They have good opportunities to develop their knowledge and skills. For example, some staff have completed training on how to promote children's oral health. This enables them to support children's confidence in visiting the dentist, to promote their health and well-being.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• help staff to plan adult-led activities more effectively, to extend and challenge children's learning further
• secure staff's knowledge of how to provide children with consistency and clarity in understanding the nursery's rules and boundaries.