Building Blocks Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Staff consider the learning environments effectively to ensure that children are calm and relaxed. They spend their time talking and playing with the children, which motivates them to play. This sensitive and warm approach ensures that children feel safe and happy in the nursery. Staff plan a rich and ambitious curriculum for all the children. For example, they introduce dry sand to babies to enable them to explore various materials. This aids children's creativity well. Toddlers practise their physical skills as they blow bubbles and exercise on an obstacle course.

Staff build on children's individual experiences outside of the nursery. For example, they take children to the nearby supermarket to buy items such as fruit for the story 'Handa's Surprise'. In addition to promoting children's awareness of the world around them, staff talk to children about what they buy, which helps to promote their language skills. At mealtimes, staff encourage children to do age-appropriate tasks for themselves to develop their independence skills. Children respond well to this and help staff, for example, to hand out bowls and cutlery. Staff sit with the children and engage them in conversations, which makes mealtimes social occasions. They teach children how to behave well. Children learn that 'sharing is caring'.

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

• The manager recognises the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on some children's learning. She receives support from senior leaders to help children build strong attachments with staff members, which gives children the confidence they need to interact with others. In turn, this promotes children's emotional well-being.
• Staff have high expectations of children. This includes children with emerging additional needs and those who speak English as an additional language. As a result, children make very good progress from their starting points, such as with their listening and language skills. For example, children with limited speech are now able to make sounds or use words to express themselves.
• The settling-in arrangements for children are highly effective. For instance, staff carry out home visits to gather relevant information about children and their families. This contributes to their accurate assessments of what children know and can do. Staff make good use of this knowledge to plan for children's early sessions and meet their individual needs. Children settle in quickly and become emotionally secure.
• The communication between parents and staff is successful. Staff provide regular feedback about children's days, activities and development, which keeps parents up to date. Parents praise the work of the staff and the support their children receive. They appreciate staff's help, for example when completing specific referral forms for their children so that they receive the support they need.
• Staff follow consistent hygiene routines, such as handwashing. They ensure that children always wash their hands before and after handling food. This prevents the risk of cross-contamination and teaches children to care for themselves.
• Staff support children's interest in books well. They read stories to children frequently to build on their vocabulary. In addition, staff sing songs to children and encourage them to use musical instruments to add to their enjoyment. Children delight in singing songs, such as carols, which encourages the development of their musicality.
• The manager carries out supervision meetings with staff to discuss their well-being and training needs. Some staff have received training which has enhanced their knowledge of how to manage children's behaviour even more positively. However, the support for staff who are new and less confident is not as targeted as it can be. This prevents some staff from promoting and extending children's learning to the highest possible level.
• The manager shows a strong passion to providing high-quality care and education. She evaluates the provision in a detailed and careful manner to bring about positive outcomes for the children. For example, the manager is currently reviewing the daily routines to minimise waiting times for the children, particularly during busy periods.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• build on the good practice of providing staff, particularly new and less-confident staff, with more-targeted support to raise the levels of education to the highest level.