Bumpsa Daisies Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are happy in this welcoming, stimulating environment. They have formed strong relationships with staff, who are warm and caring towards them. Children are confident and show that they feel safe and secure. They concentrate well and busy themselves in a variety of activities in the nursery and the garden. Staff know the children's capabilities and understand their different needs. Younger children have regular time outdoors and are provided with many sensory experiences. They develop their creativity as they use brushes and their fingers to make marks with natural paint. Older children practise their coordination on balance bikes as they manoeuvre around the garden.

Children's behaviour is good. They respond well to the high expectations staff have for their behaviour and learning, as a result, children have wonderful manners. Children are polite to one another and to staff. They show consideration as they pour out drinks for their friends at mealtimes when their cups are empty. Children collaborate well as they chat amiably with friends during water and sand play as they share resources. Staff have high expectations of what they want children to achieve, including those children with special educational needs and/or disabilities or delays in their learning.

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

• The manager and staff are committed to providing the best possible care and education for all children. They plan an exciting curriculum that effectively reflects children's interest and supports children to make good progress from their starting points. They develop the key skills they need for future learning.
• Staff gently support children's independence. They help them to master new skills, such as putting on their own coats. Older children show pride in their achievements when doing the fastenings on their coats by themselves. They practise peeling and cutting skills as they prepare their own snacks of bananas and strawberries.
• Children learn to respect others and value differences, such as by celebrating festivals from other cultures and religions. Their imagination and creativity is fostered as they create a dragon costume and perform a dragon dance.
• Staff skilfully ask open questions and introduce new words, such as pipettes, to further encourage children's speech and thinking. Children benefit from many opportunities to hear and join in with rhymes, songs and listen to stories. However, bilingual children have limited opportunities to see and hear their home language, to strengthen their communication and language even further.
• Parents speak highly of the staff team and the care and teaching they provide. They are kept well informed about their child's learning through daily discussions and regular reviews.
• The manager carries out robust recruitment, vetting and induction procedures. Staff have good opportunities to complete training to ensure their knowledge is broadened and kept up to date. They have completed training, such as sign language, 'Blossoming Babies' and using visual aids. These activities help to ensure that staff are appropriately skilled and suitable to work with children.
• Children are supported well to develop a love of books. Staff provide cosy and inviting reading areas, where children handle books with care. They have ample opportunity to develop their small-muscle skills in preparation for early writing. However, there are occasions when some staff do not challenge older children to have a go at writing for purpose, to develop their recognition of letters and sounds.
• The key-person system is effective. All staff know their key children well and regularly observe them. They use this information to plan for children's next steps in learning and development.
• Staff provide an excellent range of resources in the attractive outdoor area. This supports children who enjoy playing and learning outside. They develop their coordination on balance bikes and visit the bug hotel to learn about minibeasts.
• Children's mathematical development is progressing well. For instance, they have access to sand timers, learn about volume during water play and count for purpose. For example, they count the numbers of plates and cups needed at snack time.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• build on strategies to further embed the use of children's home languages within the setting to strengthen children's communication skills to the highest level
• support staff to deliver the literacy curriculum consistently, to further enhance children's writing for purpose and linking letters to sounds.