Brightsparks Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Staff continue to provide children with high-quality education and care. They design a stimulating and age-appropriate curriculum that reflects their inclusive approach to teaching. For instance, when staff observe children's interests in imaginative play, they incorporate this into their planning. During an activity, children show perseverance and strong concentration skills while building their 'houses'. They enthusiastically announce to staff, 'We are builders'. Children are motivated to learn.

Staff provide children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and who speak English as an additional language with good support. They ensure that these children thrive in their learning environments. Staff's commitment includes liaising with parents, carers and other professionals to help children to have better outcomes.

Staff prioritise the health and safety of children. They are deployed well, enabling them to supervise children effectively, indoors and outdoors. Parents report that their children are happy at this nursery. They find that staff interact positively with their children. Staff teach children to share and take turns, to encourage good behaviour. Children express their enjoyment of playing with their friends. Older children share their favourite activities, such as playing with sand and making ice cream. They have positive attitudes towards their learning.

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

• Managers have a secure understanding of their roles and responsibilities. For example, they ensure that the ratio requirements are met at all times. They also follow rigorous checks on staff's initial and ongoing suitability. These practices help to keep children safe.
• Parents praise managers and staff for being responsive and caring. They appreciate the effective communication and feel involved in their children's education, particularly during transitions between rooms. Parents know about their children's key person, who forms close relationships with their children. This strong partnership between parents and staff benefits children's education and care needs.
• Staff engage children by singing songs and reading books as part of their curriculum. However, they do not use all opportunities to extend conversations and explore ideas with children. This oversight limits staff's ability to teach children a richer and broader range of language.
• Staff describe managers as 'approachable'. They are highly satisfied with the support and professional opportunities they receive. Staff have completed mandatory training, such as safeguarding and first-aid training, so they know what to do in an emergency. This helps to protect children's well-being.
• Staff observe and assess children's learning regularly. Following training, they have increased their knowledge of how to identify and refer children with SEND. This helps staff to close the gaps in children's education, such as in their social skills. All children make good progress from their starting points in development.
• Children love playing indoors and outdoors. Younger children enjoy exploring sensory and malleable materials, which promote their creativity. Toddlers have fun using ride-on toys and hoops, which help them to develop their gross motor skills. Older children show their imaginations as they play with toy vehicles.
• Staff create sociable snack and mealtime experiences, catering to all children's dietary needs and allergies. They teach children to wash their hands and try a variety of nutritious foods. Children develop their independence skills. For example, older children manage their personal needs, such as toileting. This contributes to children's healthy lifestyles.
• Children are learning to use polite words, such as please and thank you. Staff praise these efforts, which helps to raise children's self-confidence. However, they do not always explain their expectations for children's behaviour clearly. For example, staff sometimes do not communicate the consequences of children's actions, such as when they snatch toys from their peers or do not follow instructions.
• Managers evaluate the quality of the provision to make positive changes for children. For instance, they recently re-evaluated the play areas for younger children to promote their physical development further. In addition, since the last inspection, managers have incorporated mathematics more into their curriculum. This raises children's understanding of numbers and simple shapes.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• plan more opportunities to enhance children's vocabulary by introducing them to a richer and broader language
• provide children with clear explanations about how their actions affect themselves and others.