Buttons Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children arrive full of excitement for the day ahead, eagerly running into the nursery. Staff greet children with smiles and hugs. They develop warm relationships with children. Children put their belongings away and seek out their friends or favourite activities. Staff provide an abundance of interesting and purposeful learning opportunities for children. As a result, children are motivated and naturally enthusiastic to play and learn.

Overall, staff promote children's communication effectively in the nursery. Children talk to staff and their peers with confidence. Children use language to express themselves, saying, for instance, 'I would like more please'. Staff encourage children to use mathematical language in their play. Children count to 10 when drawing pictures of trains. They make connections with various types of transport and relate to their own trip on a 'double-decker bus' Staff encourage children to discuss the shapes they need to make the train and use electronic devices as a useful reference tool.

Staff model and guide children's behaviour through effective teaching and guidance. Children learn how to share resources and take turns when playing with their friends. They display tolerance by respecting other children's choices and space. Children use words such as, 'It is my turn next' and 'please' and 'thank you' in context. There are strong trusting relationships embedded between children and staff.

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

• Key persons know their key children well, including their developmental stages and what is next in their sequence of learning. Staff work as a team in the differing age-group rooms to share information about what children need to learn next. They then weave this into their planning of activities and experiences, and use their knowledge during their interactions with children. This supports children to make good developmental progress.
• Children benefit from well-organised routines in the nursery. They begin to ask, 'What is for dinner?', anticipating lunchtime. Staff serve children healthy choices, such as fruit, for snack. Children can confidently pour their drinks. Additionally, children understand the importance of personal hygiene, such as washing their hands before meals and after outdoor play.
• Staff support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) very well. They work closely with external professionals to ensure that every child receives the support they need. Staff use strategies recommended by these professionals to help children with SEND to make progress. This means that every child makes progress on their individual learning journey.
• Partnerships with parents are extremely good. Staff ensure that parents are fully informed about their children's experiences. Staff use open days to share information with parents about their children's development and progress. Parents learn how to continue teaching their children at home. As a result, children's learning is a continuous process for them.
• Parents comment that about the excellent staff team who are committed to the care of their children. The state that they are kept very well informed through an online app. Parents report that staff take an interest in what their children are doing at home.
• The manager is experienced and committed to her role and the children in her care. She has high expectations of staff and ensures that they have her full support. Through regular meetings with staff, the manager is able to identify regular training and coaching to make sure that staff extend their own knowledge and practice. Staff attend purposeful training, which helps them to focus on the precise needs of the children in their care. Staff comment that they feel very well supported by the manager.
• Overall, staff provide a rich environment where children are constantly exposed to language and words. Staff encourage children to talk and express themselves. However, occasionally, some staff do not allow children time to think and reason when asking questions.
• Children enjoy listening to stories. Staff encourage children to connect with the characters' emotions, and how they may be feeling in different scenarios. Staff prompt children to recall words they have previously learned. This helps to strengthen children's memories, expand their vocabularies and enhance their language skills. However, during group story times, there are many interruptions and distractions, which causes children to disengage and become distracted. This means that children do not benefit fully from all learning opportunities.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• give children enough time to process their thoughts and ideas when responding to questions
• consider more closely how to adapt group activities to ensure that all children fully engage and benefit from the learning opportunities.