Butterflies Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children arrive happy and are greeted by staff who show them warmth and kindness. This helps children to quickly settle to start their day at nursery. This begins with children sitting together with staff and singing a welcome song to one another. Children show a love for outdoor learning and have free-flow access to this throughout their time in the setting. This ensures that children have maximum opportunities to develop their physical skills through using climbing frames and large-scale objects such as tyres. In addition, children spend time exploring the world around them, participating in group activities such as searching for leaves, sticks and conkers.

Children have some opportunities to be independent. This is supported through staff providing good levels of communication through the use of 'now and next' boards and pictures and symbols. As a result, children who require additional support with their speech and language are fully included. Children's attitudes and behaviour are positive. They are supported to behave well by staff who model how to treat others with respect and understand the difference between right and wrong. Staff are clear in communicating their expectations for behaviour and reiterate these throughout the day. This creates a well-managed environment with a positive atmosphere.

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

• Staff welcome children into the setting in a calm and settled manner. Children show enjoyment in activities that staff prepare for them, such as making 'nature wands'. Leaders have designed a well-thought-out curriculum that focuses on the individual child, helping them to achieve their full potential. Staff are knowledgeable about their key children's interests. They assess their learning and accurately identify what they need to do next to extend the progress they make.
• Leaders have personable qualities when talking to parents about their children and have established strong working relationships. This helps to ensure a smooth transition into the setting and separation from their parents. Consequently, all children, including those who have had time away from the nursery, engage in the good variety of activities on offer.
• The staff work very well together as a team and support one another's well-being. They have strong working relationships, communicating messages from parents and sharing information with one another throughout the day, such as information in relation to meetings they have with other professionals. This helps to provide a consistent approach to every child's care and education. Leaders are very involved in the day-to-day care of children.
• Staff identify clear learning objectives for the adult-led activities. They make checks to ensure that children have understood this. After a nature walk, children practise their scissor skills. They cut up natural objects, such as leaves and twigs, and cut around a cardboard star to stick them to. Staff talk to the children throughout, looking at colours and shapes, and offering support when needed.
• Staff work closely with other professionals to ensure that all children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) who require additional support receive this promptly. They devise strategies to ensure that all children can develop to their full potential through one-to-one support, helping them to make as much progress as they can in relation to their starting points.
• Leaders take time to reflect on their own practice, setting targets for how they can improve their personal development. Staff say they are supported by leaders. They comment on the open-door policy and say how leaders and managers always meet their needs. Staff share that they feel valued and are encouraged to highlight personal areas for development. They are then supported to access training and mentoring opportunities to continually make progress.
• The relationships between the nursery staff and parents are very good. Parents speak highly of the education and care their children receive. They compliment staff on settling the children, building positive relationships and providing a good standard of learning. Parents with children who require additional support share that staff engage and seek guidance on their behalf with other professionals and sensitively support them through the process.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support children more consistently to do things for themselves to further enhance their growing skills in becoming independent.