Brightstart Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Staff provide a warm, nurturing environment for children at the nursery. They show genuine care for their well-being. All children, including babies, settle with ease and build trusting relationships with staff. Children know that staff care for them. As such, they approach staff freely for cuddles. Children follow a clear curriculum. They learn through their own interests. For example, when children show an interest in farms, staff plan exciting learning experiences. Babies experience sensory play using vegetables, such as spring onions, sprouts and courgettes. Older children have the opportunity to grow, harvest and cook their own vegetables. Staff introduce children to the names of new and interesting vegetables to help them to extend their vocabularies

Staff have high expectations for all children who attend. They talk proudly about the children they work with and know them very well. Children develop their small-muscle control and problem-solving skills as they work out how to use the scissors and successfully cut their sticky tape. Parents no longer enter the nursery as they would have done before the COVID-19 pandemic. However, children demonstrate resilience and have adjusted well to the changes in their routine.

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

• Staff recognise and attend to children's care needs effectively. For example, staff provide calming music in the baby room, to help to create a tranquil environment while children play. This helps to support children's emotional well-being.
• Overall, staff sequence the curriculum well to build on what children already know and can do. For example, children enthusiastically make marks with chunky chalk in readiness for later writing skills. However, on occasion, staff do not think carefully enough about how they can keep all children engaged in their learning. As a result, not all children maintain focus during activities.
• Children choose different toys and resources to play with from the accessible storage boxes and cupboards. Overall, they engage well in their chosen activities. However, sometimes, when children have finished playing, staff do not encourage them to put the toys back. This means the floor space becomes cluttered and children find moving around the room more difficult. On occasion, children struggle to find places to start new activities.
• Children show a great interest in books and, generally, concentrate well during stories. Staff encourage older children to recognise letters and the sounds that they make. For instance, older children delight in identifying the letter 'q' and suggest objects that have the same sound. Staff support children's language and literacy skills well.
• Children enjoy activities where they learn about teeth and the importance of good oral hygiene. For example, young children use toothbrushes on laminated cards to practise their skills. Staff talk to children and read stories about going to the dentist.
• Partnerships with parents are strong. Staff update parents on what their children have done through daily discussions. Parents value the support and information which staff give them to carry on their children's learning at home. This helps parents to understand about their children's day and how to support their learning. Parents describe the nursery as 'amazing'.
• Leaders act with integrity. They ensure that all children, particularly those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), have full access to their full entitlement to early education.
• The special educational needs coordinator (SENCo) works extremely effectively with children who require additional support. Staff spend any funding they receive extremely thoughtfully to support children effectively. For example, some children receive one-to-one support. This helps all children make good progress from their starting points in learning.
• The provider, manager and deputy manager have a clear vision for the nursery, which is shared by all staff. They are passionate and dedicated in providing children with the best possible start. The manager values her staff who comment that they feel supported.
• The manager uses regular supervision meetings to help staff target areas to further their professional development. Staff successfully use the knowledge and skills they gain through training. For example, they use signs as an additional method to help them communicate with children.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• use what is known about children's abilities to plan group activities more precisely in order to maintain all children's engagement
• build on children's understanding of learning how to keep themselves safe and caring for their play spaces.