Buckshaw Village Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The devoted leaders and staff place children at the very heart of everything they do. Special video messages sent to children by their key persons during the COVID- 19 lockdown have helped them to settle back into nursery life easily. Staff value each and every child. They teach children that 'hopes and dreams are within easy reach if only we believe'. This inspires children to share their aspirations for the future, including what they wish to be when they grow up. Children are extremely happy and relaxed. They enjoy every minute of their time in this inclusive, calm and appealing nursery.

Leaders and staff ignite children's natural curiosity through a world of 'awe and wonder'. Children are highly motivated individuals, who immerse themselves in their play and learning. Babies demonstrate increasing independence, when using a fork to eat their lunch. They show an understanding of how to keep themselves safe, such as when blowing on food before placing this into their mouths. Younger children are confident to join in with repeated refrains from stories that they enjoy. They engage in meaningful conversations, such as when acting out a dinosaur scene and take turns without prompting. Older children remember what they have already learned about colours and rightly express that 'red and blue makes purple'. When making a gingerbread man with dough, they respond well to questions from staff. For example, they share their excellent knowledge of what types of clothing to wear when it is cold. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) show a great deal of care and consideration for others. For instance, during role-play they brush their friends hair very gently so that it does not pull. Children attending the out-of-school club vote fairly for their favourite activities. They use tools such as scissors competently.

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

• Staff engage in high-quality interactions with children. They shape children's learning experiences superbly, to help them to make the very best rates of progress. Babies squeal with delight when they see staff bringing out favourite games, such as 'what's in the box'. They demonstrate increasing confidence to repeat new words and sing words to familiar songs, sometimes independently and aloud for all to hear. Babies maintain high levels of involvement in their play and learning and concentrate for lengthy periods given their ages.
• Leaders invest in staff through purposeful supervision sessions and valuable teaching observations. They prioritise staff's well-being and organise events, such as well-being nature walks, to promote team building and a positive mind. Staff's excellent practice is highly valued and recognised through meaningful rewards, such as the 'employee of the month'. This contributes towards the increased positive energy and enthusiasm across the staff team.
• Since the onset of the pandemic, staff have placed a sharp emphasis on supporting children to manage their feelings and emotions. The introduction of a new mindfulness programme is helping to promote a sense of calm across the nursery. Children thoroughly enjoy taking part in aspects of the programme, such as peer massage. This is contributing towards children's increased self-control, confidence and ability to form exceptional relationships with others.
• Leaders and staff understand the geographical context of the nursery and the children and families that attend. They provide a rich set of experiences, to help to broaden children's life skills. For example, older children, including those receiving the early years pupil premium funding, enjoy their weekly swimming sessions. They express their sheer delight when splashing their feet in the water and demonstrate the ability to get into the water safely. Children listen to instructions and follow these accurately. They actively display their advancing physical skills, when swimming from one side of the pool to the other.
• The innovative staff engage children in meaningful tasks to teach them about global factors, such as climate change. For instance, children actively recycle different materials and take part in community projects, such as litter picking. This is empowering children to make a difference and supporting them to adopt higher levels of respect, care and consideration for the world around them.
• Support for children with SEND is outstanding. Staff go over and above to secure timely interventions and target support for individual children at the earliest opportunity. This is contributing to the rapid and substantial progress that all children are making over short periods of time.
• Partnerships with parents are superb. Through quality research, staff recognise that the range of vocabulary that children acquire early on has a lasting impression on their future success. They have set up a lending library and share beneficial language materials with parents, to help to extend the breadth of children's vocabulary at home. This is highly successful in narrowing any gaps in children's achievements and prepares all children well for their ongoing success in school. Parents speak very highly of staff. They report that 'staff go over and above what is expected' and express that 'staff know their children inside out'.