Building Blocks Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Parents and carers comment positively on how staff welcome children into a calming environment where classical music plays. Children leave their parents with ease before they become quickly engrossed in the plentiful learning opportunities that staff provide. For instance, an indoor digging patch ignites children's interest in bugs, which significantly elevates their engagement in their learning. They bring in a real caterpillar from home to build further relationships with others as they show and tell.

Children are extremely confident in social situations. For example, they tell the inspector that the lemon in the water has changed the water's colour. They advise not to drink the water and where to get 'normal water' from. This shows that children know about risks associated with activities. They know how to keep themselves and others safe.

Children have superb knowledge of acceptable behaviours. Therefore, they help to create their own nursery rules. Staff consistently model high expectations of children. This contributes positively towards children's happiness, as they feel safe and secure in what they know and can do. For instance, children cooperate highly with their peers as they wash up together in the sink, while other children queue behind them for their turn.

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

• Passionate managers, continuous self-evaluation and strong teamwork contribute positively towards a high-quality nursery. For instance, managers monitor the curriculum intent and implementation to evaluate the quality of education children receive. Staff value the time that managers invest in supporting them. Managers regard staff as 'their biggest asset'.
• Managers and staff have implemented a change in ethos, where all children engage in a wealth of exploratory and investigative play using open-ended materials. Managers identify the importance of children learning through real-life experiences. Therefore, improvement plans aim to broaden children's experiences beyond those at the nursery.
• Children demonstrate strong control in their fine and gross motor skills. For example, toddlers confidently manipulate the play dough as they press it into a bowl. They add dried orange peel and mint leaves, which they smell. They jump across and off various heights of crates and they land safely with two feet.
• Children's well-being is of high priority. For example, staff talk to children about their feelings and emotions throughout the day. They create a quiet area for children to regulate their emotions should they need to. Staff remind children of this 'safe space' during activities to ensure children can make independent future choices.
• Routines positively enhance children's learning. For instance, children who enjoy learning outdoors can do so in all weathers. They eagerly put on their coats to go out in the rain. Children's mealtimes are staggered to improve their dining experience and build further social interactions. Children choose when to have their snack. This means their learning is free from disruption.
• Children are extremely independent. For example, they serve their own drinks when they are thirsty and wash their own plates after mealtimes. Children access a wealth of resources, for example recycled soap dispensers filled with paint to allow children to create their own palette, having full control of quantity and colour mixing.
• Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and children who speak English as an additional language benefit greatly from the inclusion support manager who works closely with key persons and external agencies. Together they ensure that children receive a targeted approach to their learning. For example, those children who cannot easily communicate their own needs benefit from a 'communication passport' that contains key information about their individual needs. This enables all staff to support them.
• Parents speak highly of the nursery, including the continuity of care for sibling children. They receive frequent updates on their children's learning and progress and are invited to contribute to how the nursery is organised. Staff work collaboratively with parents to continue children's learning at home and to promote children's attendance.
• There is a large emphasis on children's communication skills, which staff support well overall. For example, staff implement language intervention programmes to support children with language delays. They teach children sign language, sing songs and read stories. However, on occasion, staff do not maximise opportunities to engage children in conversations to further build on their communication and thinking skills.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• continue to monitor staff practice to identify where teaching can further engage children in more conversations to raise their communication and language skills to the highest level.