Bunnies on the Green Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children and families are warmly greeted by the practitioners and manager. Children arrive happy and enjoy their time at this welcoming setting. Practitioners know their key children well and gather key information from parents to help them settle into their day. Interactions between children and practitioners are kind and gentle. Children are confident to approach practitioners for comfort and support when needed.

Practitioners are positive role models for children. Children are friendly, sociable and behave well. They interact well with each other and practitioners when looking at snails in the garden, and they proudly show each other what they have found. Children learn how to share and take turns. Practitioners praise them for their behaviour and achievements.

The manager and special educational needs and disabilities coordinator (SENDCo) work well together to implement a curriculum that supports all children to make good progress. They work alongside practitioners, parents and other agencies to ensure that all children develop to their full potential. Practitioners consider the interests and personal experiences of all children when planning, which helps children to develop positive attitudes towards learning. They adapt their approach and interactions to meet the age and ability of each child. Children independently choose from a wide range of resources and activities. They are fully engaged in their play and activities throughout the day.

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

• The manager implements a purposeful and ambitious curriculum that supports all children's learning and development. Practitioners observe children to assess what they already know and to identify gaps in their development. They plan activities that help to close any gaps and build on children's knowledge while supporting their individual needs. As a result, all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), make good progress from their starting points.
• Overall, practitioners provide good support for children's language and communication skills. Staff show interest in what older children are saying and ask questions to encourage children to expand on their thoughts. They narrate for younger children during activities and read stories and sing songs. However, children who speak English as an additional language do not always receive the same level of support for their language skills. For example, practitioners do not always use children's home languages or visual aids to support their understanding.
• Children learn to follow good hygiene routines. They independently wash their hands after messy play and using the toilet and before meals. Children are encouraged to wipe their noses and cover their mouth when they cough or sneeze. Occasionally, practitioners do not give younger children and children with SEND enough support so that they know what is happening next in the daily routine. This hinders smooth transitions, and some children become upset.
• Children benefit from two outdoor spaces where they are encouraged to move in different ways. Children have access to a climbing wall, ropes and scooters. Practitioners set up an obstacle course, which helps children learn to navigate space and which supports the development of large muscles. Children participate in activities such as modelling clay and play dough and take part in mark making. This helps to strengthen muscles in the hand and fine motor skills to support future writing skills.
• Managers are aware of the importance of continuous professional development for practitioners and the impact it has on the quality of teaching and practice. Managers identify staff's training needs and interests in supervision sessions and find training and courses that will support them to increase their knowledge and skills.
• The setting implements safer recruitment and vetting processes to ensure that all practitioners are suitable to work with children and understand their role and responsibilities towards safeguarding children.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• provide further support for children who speak English as an additional language to develop and extend their communication skills and understanding
• review arrangements to support younger children, and children with SEND, to better understand what is happening now and what will happen next, so that transitions in the daily routine are well managed.