Bushy Tails Day Nursery And Preschool

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are happy and enjoy the time they spend at the nursery. Staff are nurturing and committed to forming strong bonds with children and families. This helps children to feel safe and secure in the environment. Children behave very well. Older children understand what is expected of them and are learning to share and play cooperatively. Staff offer gentle reminders to younger children. They are respectful and provide plenty of praise and encouragement, helping to raise children's confidence and self-esteem.

The curriculum is rich, varied and exciting. Children benefit from a wide range of experiences that are interesting and capture their attention. For example, babies are fascinated as they explore the texture of different creative materials and resources. They develop their small-muscle skills as they roll sponges in paint and make marks on paper. Toddlers are curious and show a positive attitude to learning as they explore their natural environment. They delight in grinding fresh herbs, picked from their allotment, with a mortar and pestle. They eagerly describe the aroma it provides. Pre-school children demonstrate increasing levels of independence and creativity. They persevere as they experiment with water, shaving foam and food colouring to make 'heavy rain clouds' and 'exploding volcanoes'. All children make good progress.

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

• Leaders and staff are totally committed to the care and education of all children. There is a strong team ethos and a shared vision for continual improvement. The manager carries out supervisions with staff and checks in on their well-being regularly. Staff state that they feel well supported by the manager and have ample opportunities for training and professional development.
• Staff know the children extremely well and provide a caring and nurturing environment. Overall, staff observe and assess children's development accurately and plan well for intended learning. However, during group activities, some staff do not consider the best ways to ensure quieter children are supported and encouraged to participate more fully. As a result, some children lose interest and wander off during these activities.
• Staff in the baby room provide exciting experiences for babies. For example, staff repeat words, provide a running commentary and use a variety of communication methods, including sign language, to communicate. Babies thrive as they learn new signs and gestures to convey their feelings, wants and needs. They benefit greatly from the caring and sensitive interactions they receive.
• Staff support children to learn about leading a healthy lifestyle. The chef prepares healthy and nutritious meals on site, which often incorporates the wide variety of vegetables the children have grown in their allotment. Children develop their independence by self-serving their lunch and pouring their own drinks. Staff engage children in lively conversations as they discuss healthy eating and why it is important to exercise.
• Staff provide a wealth of opportunities for children to learn about the natural world. Children go on regular outings in the local community and have a good understanding of sustainability. They re-use various household items, designing and upcycling them into garden planters and wildlife areas. Furthermore, children enjoy growing and planting, they eagerly water the many fruits and vegetables they grow and talk about those they will eventually harvest. This helps to broaden children's knowledge of the world around them.
• Overall, children's communication and language is promoted well, including those with speech delay and special educational needs and/or disabilities. Staff introduce new words to widen children's vocabulary. They talk to children as they play, narrating what is going on and asking questions. However, there are occasions when staff do not fully enhance children's thinking skills. For example, they do not always ask children challenging questions or give them enough time to think when responding to questions.
• Partnership with parents is strong. Parents report that they feel confident that their children are safe and well looked after within the nursery. They value the many ways that staff communicate with them, including through daily feedback, parent meetings and an online system of communication. These positive interactions help to provide consistency and continuity in children's care and learning.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• strengthen staff's planning and implementation of group times to consistently meet the needs of all children who take part, especially those who are less confident
• give children more time to think about and respond to questions, to further develop their critical thinking and communication and language skills.