Building Blocks Day Nurseries

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Older children learn how to use knives safety, such as when they cut fruit for snack time. Staff support children to understand why they cut the fruit into small pieces. Children say that they do this so the fruit does not get stuck in their throat. This helps children to learn how to promote their own safety around food.

Children are given the responsibility of keeping the environment tidy. When staff ask younger children to help, they show excitement in her voice and give children a count down to complete the task. This encourages children to act quickly and to tidy away toys as fast as they can. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are supported to regulate their emotions. For instance, staff give them small toys to hold when routines change during the day. This helps children to be calm, such as at snack times.

Children have experiences to be physically active. Staff skilfully challenge children's abilities. For example, when young children begin to climb steps on equipment easily, staff hold their hands and support their balance to walk backwards. Furthermore, when older children play games with their peers, they use the strength in their legs as they jump from one object to another without putting their feet on the floor.

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

• Staff are quick to put early intervention in place to help close any gaps in children's learning. This includes staff providing one-to-one time with children to follow their interests and support their individual needs. This is successful in helping children to make good progress from their starting points in learning.
• Children with SEND are supported very well. Staff work in partnership with parents and other professionals. They identify and implement specific targets to support children's individual needs. Staff put in place individual plans in preparation for when children go to school, helping to provide consistency in meeting their needs when they move on.
• Mealtimes are sociable occasions. Staff provide children with a range of nutritious meals and snacks. They sit with the children during this time and talk to them. Staff help children to understand the benefits of the nutritious foods on their bodies, such as to eat vegetables to make them big and strong.
• Additional funding that some children receive is used effectively to support their individual needs. This includes providing additional staff to spend time with children to help close gaps in their learning. Additionally, sensory equipment is purchased to support children's emotional well-being.
• Staff know the children well. They complete observations and assessments to help identify what children need to learn next. However, sometimes, when staff want children to join in activities to help develop their speaking skills, such as singing, staff do not remove barriers in children's mouths, so they can join in, such as dummies. At other times, staff do not help children to understand how to pronounce some words correctly.
• Staff say that they feel supported with their practice and well-being. They are encouraged to incorporate their own talents and interests to support children's learning, such as dance and music. For example, when children show an interest in dinosaurs and like to be physically active, staff play action songs that encourages children to stomp like a dinosaur.
• Overall, partnerships with parents are effective. Staff share information with parents about their children's daily activities and care routines. This helps to keep parents informed about their children's day. However, staff do not encourage parents to help children develop a love of books and reading at home to help develop their learning further.
• Staff help children to understand how to show positive behaviour. For instance, staff clap their hands to reward very young children's achievements. Younger children are supported to take turns to wash their hands after messy play activities. Older children are identified as being a 'preschool helper'. This gives them the responsibility of helping to clean tables and to show their peers how to sit properly at circle time.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support staff to build on children's speaking skills
• strengthen partnership working with parents and encourage them to help their children to develop a love of books and reading at home.