Buttercups at Isleworth

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children show they are excited and happy at the nursery. There are effective key-person arrangements in place to ensure that children are well supported. Children separate from their parents and carers at the door with ease and happily go to their base rooms. Staff are kind and attentive to children. They provide them with a wide range of activities that support their interests. Staff plan a curriculum that helps children to build on their prior knowledge and skills. For example, in the baby room, babies enjoy frozen fruit activities on table-top surfaces, which encourages them to stand to build the muscles in their legs. Older children have many opportunities to expand their dexterity in their hands, ready for writing. For example, they enjoy exploring with media and materials, such as dough and sand.

Children behave well. They learn how to be kind and considerate to each other. Staff support children's self-confidence successfully, such as praising children for sharing, listening and turn taking. Staff support children's communication and language purposefully. They sing songs together and encourage children to develop a love of stories. This helps children to develop their vocabulary and understanding as they hear words in different contexts. All children make good progress from their starting points in development.

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

• Partnerships with parents are a key strength in the nursery. Parents are very positive about staff and confirm they receive good communication. Staff use daily handovers to support consistent care and learning for children. Parents also receive regular updates about their children's development, routines and ways to help at home. They say they value the nurturing care that staff provide.
• Staff support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities well. They follow individual plans and work closely with parents and professionals. Staff use visual aids, sensory resources and routines to meet children's needs. Children who need extra help receive strong support in their care and learning.
• Children are curious and motivated to learn. They enjoy experiments with bicarbonate of soda and vinegar. Staff support them to count and measure, which strengthens their mathematical understanding.
• Staff promote children's physical well-being through a wide range of indoor and outdoor activities. Children ride bicycles and balance beanbags on their heads to build their strength and coordination. They develop good physical skills and enjoy being active. Leaders also provide extra activities, such as music, sports and yoga, which support children's physical and intellectual development.
• Children of all ages develop independence. They serve snacks, pour drinks and find their belongings. Younger children help to tidy up, while older children scrape their plates after lunch. This helps children to develop their self-care skills.
• Staff promote life in modern Britain. They teach children about diversity and different cultures. Children learn about Rakhi, Lunar New Year and disabilities, such as through books, activities and discussions. They show respect for differences and build an awareness of different cultures.
• Children are well behaved. When needed, staff support children to manage any conflicts themselves. They support children to understand how to regulate their feelings.
• Staff support children to develop healthy lifestyle habits. Older children brush their teeth after lunch and talk about healthy foods. Staff help them to understand how to keep their bodies and teeth healthy. Children also enjoy freshly prepared meals and snacks that meet their dietary needs.
• Staff follow hygiene procedures, such as reminding children to wash their hands before meals. However, this practice is not always consistent. For example, during outdoor play, children use equipment, then cut, squeeze and taste citrus fruits without washing their hands. This gives children mixed messages about hygiene and healthy routines.
• Overall, staff deliver an ambitious and well-sequenced curriculum. However, they do not always recognise opportunities during children's play to extend their learning. At these times, they do not consistently support children to build on what they already know. As a result, older and the most able children do not always extend their learning. In addition, leaders do not consistently identify weaknesses in practice. This limits staff's development and slows progress in raising the overall quality of provision.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• provide children with consistent messages about good hygiene by fully embedding policies across the nursery
• strengthen supervision sessions and self-evaluation to quickly address weaknesses and support staff to consistently extend children's learning.