Brook Early Years

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are happy and safe at this inclusive, child-centred nursery. They receive a warm welcome from staff, which helps them to settle quickly. An effective key-person system helps staff to build nurturing bonds with the children. Leaders identify that prioritising children's personal, social and emotional development is especially important following the COVID-19 pandemic. Children behave well and show high levels of concentration. They respond well to the clear routines and boundaries set. Their behaviour is further enhanced because staff are very good role models and have high expectations for all children.

Staff provide a curriculum that fully supports children's independence and social skills. Children assess their own risks. For example, staff encourage them to use equipment safely when using a knife to cut their fruit and spread their cream cheese. Staff praise them as they carefully climb the stairs and remind each other to hold on to the handrail. There is a strong focus on helping children to understand what makes them unique. For instance, staff discuss different features, such as hair and eye colour, as they support children to make a picture of their face. Staff skilfully encourage children to consider how they are feeling. Children use a mirror to pull faces and have fun deciding what makes them look happy or sad.

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

• Children can choose where they like to play. Staff use their interests to provide activities, both inside and outside. For example, children explore cause and effect as they pour water through pipes and tubes. They experiment as they make plastic boats move with different quantities of water. Children access creative activities, complete puzzles and read stories together in the well-resourced garden.
• Staff support early writing skills well. Children use tweezers to move strands of spaghetti to make different shapes. They carefully pick up gems and decorations to stick on wooden crowns in memory of Her Majesty the Queen. These activities help strengthen muscles in their hands and fingers in preparation for writing. Staff talk to children as they play, narrating what is going on and asking questions. However, there are occasions when staff do not fully enhance children's thinking skills. For example, they do not consistently ask children challenging questions or give them enough time to think when responding to questions.
• Children have opportunities to be physically active. They enjoy exploring the nursery woodland area where they search for bugs and explore the fairy garden with attentive staff. Children strengthen their coordination skills as they balance on plastic 'wobble boards'. They build strong friendships as they enjoy a game of hide and seek. Staff join in enthusiastically, supporting children to successfully count to 10.
• Speech and language development takes priority with staff. They implement small, focused groups that sequence learning over a number of weeks. All children get the opportunity to attend, and they excitedly join their friends. They practise key skills, such as taking turns and listening to instructions. That said, staff are not as consistent in the support they provide to children learning English as an additional language. For example, they do not use all the resources available to them to promote children's key communication skills quickly enough.
• Children effectively learn about the importance of adopting healthy lifestyles. The setting works with their local authority to complete the 'Healthy Early Years Award'. This supports staff in teaching the children about healthy foods, good dental care and the value of being active. Staff work well with parents as they share healthy lifestyle guidance with them, to help give children the best start in life.
• Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities receive individual support. Staff identify when children need additional help and are confident in making referrals and seeking advice from external agencies. This ensures children receive the best possible start to their education.
• Staff well-being is a priority for the leadership team. The long-standing and dedicated staff team comment on good levels of support and job satisfaction. The manager frequently arranges activities to promote staff well-being. For instance, staff have access to independent, pastoral care each month to support their own self-care.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• strengthen the consistency of staff's questioning skills and the way they help to expand children's knowledge
• use the strategies and resources available to support children learning English as an additional language more consistently, especially to help them communicate their own thoughts and needs more effectively.