Bunny Hop Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are happy and secure at this well-established and inclusive nursery. Children are eager to enter in the morning and are greeted by kind and caring staff. Children are encouraged to make informed choices about their play. For example, they self-select resources from the many choices available in the well-organised playroom. Children grow in confidence and settle easily as they observe all the fun that their friends are having. Staff help children to manage their feelings. For instance, during activities, children talk about how they are feeling. Staff read stories and use props to help guide children to enable them to speak up. Children develop positive relationships with staff, who know them well and consistently meet their needs.

Children enjoy indoor and outdoor play, which helps to support their independence and confidence. Staff remind children of boundaries and routines, so that children learn to understand that their actions have consequences. Children learn how to treat each other with kindness and how to keep safe. Children learn early science skills. For example, they handle slime and observe the different textures and how slime moulds and moves in different directions. This helps children to problem-solve and work out how things work.

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

• Partnerships with parents are effective. Parents speak highly of staff, and they are happy with the support that their children receive. Staff offer regular updates to parents via the online platform, which includes photos of children's learning and written updates. Staff speak daily to parents about important matters. Staff encourage parents to support their child's learning at home, for example reading to them.
• The curriculum focuses on all areas of learning and is both ambitious and creative. Staff organise learning indoors and outdoors. Children have daily access to two gardens in all weathers, a smaller one and much larger garden, and they enjoy the fresh air and outdoor space. Children move freely across the large open space and develop speed and their gross and fine motor skills. They ride wheeled toys in different directions and learn about speed and control as they manoeuvre around each other. Children learn about nature as they are surrounded by green trees and plants. They take safe risks coming down the slide and climbing up the activity wall linked to the frame.
• Support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) is strong. Staff work well with parents and outside agencies to ensure all children make good progress from their starting points.
• Leaders are motivated and supportive of staff. They successfully evaluate strengths and weaknesses at the nursery and have plans in place to improve outcomes for children. For example, they act as role models for new staff to help develop their practice. They work closely with staff and encourage and praise their work, all of which helps to build good staff morale. Staff receive regular supervisions and daily coaching to help them improve their practice. All staff access the online training provider and complete relevant training courses, such as safeguarding and child protection, to help keep children safe. However, the staff team is readjusting and developing, and targeted support is not yet fully effective.
• Staff communicate with children to ensure that they feel happy and secure and develop their learning. However, not all staff's interactions focus on furthering children's language development to help support them fully.
• Children enjoy role play with cardboard boxes. They climb into boxes and pretend to make cars. They discuss what they need for the car to work. For instance, children draw on wheels, windows, a steering wheel and seats, and they build their understanding of spatial awareness. Staff help children to understand the concept of recycling and reusing materials. Children work together and come up with their own ideas. They share, take turns and wait.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• review staff's support for children's communication and language development to help children extend their thoughts and ideas more consistently
• develop different ways for staff to focus on building on their individual teaching abilities to extend children's learning even further.