Brookfields Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Staff greet children warmly as they arrive and help children to feel safe and secure. Children are happy as they move confidently around the nursery, choosing what they wish to play with. They build close relationships with staff. Toddlers snuggle close to staff and listen to a story about farm animals. Staff encourage the children to press the buttons on the book. The children laugh and giggle and show their enjoyment of listening to the story, which helps to develop their listening skills.

Staff have high expectations for all children. They provide a variety of interesting opportunities, which children enjoy. Children become fully engaged in their learning. For example, children make potions using water and flowers. Children concentrate well and eagerly take part in the activity. Staff help to ignite their imaginations as they talk about magical potions together.

Staff use their observations of children's learning well and build on what children know and can do. For example, babies have fun exploring the water. They splash and pat the water and scream with delight as the water reaches their faces. Staff use this opportunity well and provide the babies with pipettes and paintbrushes. This extends the babies' learning and helps to strengthen their fingers and develop their small-muscle skills as they squirt the water out and paint the wall.

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

• Leadership is strong. The managers oversee the quality of the nursery. They provide staff with targeted training and support so they can extend their professional skills. This includes further training to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and to help children to manage their feelings and behaviour.
• Staff prepare children well for the next stages in their education. Younger children develop self-care skills, such as putting on their own coat and washing their hands. Pre-school children show impressive early literacy and mathematical skills. They begin to make recognisable marks when drawing and writing. They confidently count out loud and use simple mathematical language in their play. These skills are beneficial for children who are preparing to move to primary school.
• Staff implement an exciting curriculum. This helps to extend children's learning from home. Staff provide activities the children enjoy. Overall, these motivate and engage the children well. For instance, children thoroughly enjoy planting seeds. However, during a seed planting activity, staff do not give children enough time to solve problems for themselves. Staff jump in too quickly and tell the children what to do next.
• Overall, staff support children's language development well. Younger children listen attentively when staff introduce key words as they play with the farm. Older children proudly share new vocabulary they have learned. Babies thoroughly enjoy joining in with their singing sessions. These actions help to extend children's listening skills and vocabulary. However, some staff do not use effective questioning techniques when speaking with children. At times, staff ask several questions in quick succession. As a result, children either fail to respond or offer one-word responses.
• Staff support children's health well. They follow good hygiene routines and teach children about the importance of a healthy lifestyle. Children enjoy nutritious meals and snacks and have plenty of opportunities for physical play. Staff support children's understanding of a good diet and what makes them healthy. For example, children talk about healthy food. They talk about vegetables being good for you as they play in the pretend café.
• Staff are good role models for behaviour. They talk to children in a kind and respectful manner. Children demonstrate good behaviour. They learn to share the toys and take turns. This is evident as children wait patiently to use the cutters and rolling pins to mould the play dough.
• Parents are happy with the service that the nursery offers. They comment that staff are extremely supportive and talk highly of their caring nature. Parents feel well supported to continue their child's learning at home. Staff regularly share information about children's progress with parents. They have daily discussions and send photos home, so parents are aware of what their children are doing.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support staff to extend their understanding of how to help children develop their thinking skills and solve problems for themselves
• support staff to use consistent and effective questioning techniques in order to further extend children's speaking skills.