Cambridge Day Nursery Ltd

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Staff at the nursery consider the needs of children closely when planning activities. They adapt the environment to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). For example, staff provide a sensory room where children can discover new textures and lighting levels. Staff support disadvantaged children well. They create new experiences for them to explore the world around them and meet other people. Leaders use funding for disadvantaged children to promote their individual interests. All children are well prepared for the next stage of their education.

Staff support children to develop good communication skills. They help children who speak English as an additional language to learn new vocabulary. Staff find out about children's home languages and how well they understand and speak. They use this information to help develop children's spoken English. All children develop high levels of fluency and confidence.

Staff have warm and nurturing relationships with children. They get to know every child well. Staff support children to play with others and take turns. All children listen to staff. Staff create routines that support children and babies to feel safe and happy. When children struggle when moving between activities, staff give them appropriate support. Children have high levels of emotional well-being.

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

• Leaders and staff create a curriculum that is ambitious for all children. They provide children with opportunities to discover a variety of new skills and knowledge. Staff support children with SEND well. When children have gaps in their learning, staff create individual support plans. All children are well supported and gain confidence in their learning.
• Staff assess children's skills and knowledge effectively. They regularly review what children know and can do. Staff identify where children need to go next with their learning. This helps all children to reach the best possible outcomes.
• Staff plan activities that children enjoy. They consider the needs of all children when providing play activities. However, during focused teaching, not all staff understand how to support individual children to join in. For example, staff do not always adapt their teaching to support the youngest children when they struggle to concentrate. On occasion, not all children are able to focus at the highest levels.
• Staff interact with children well. They identify the new language they want children to learn. Staff use clear language and repeat new words to reinforce children's understanding. All children, including those who speak English as an additional language, gain fluency at the highest levels.
• Leaders identify areas where children need support with their self-care skills. They teach children to use the toilet by themselves and wash their hands. Children feel confident and are proud when they can do things for themselves. Children gain high levels of independence.
• Parents are happy with the nursery. They report that they are invited to join in with the activities. Parents attend regular events, including teddy bears picnics, trips and workshops. They say that they feel well supported by the nursery. This helps them to support their children's development at home.
• Leaders and staff work closely with external agencies to support children's development. For example, they make links with the community police, who visit the nursery and talk to the children about safety. Staff visit the local primary school so that children feel confident when they move on. Staff work with experts to support children with SEND.
• Staff teach children about the importance of healthy lifestyles. For example, they teach children to brush their teeth. Children can talk about which foods are good for their oral health. Staff support children's personal well-being well.
• Leaders provide all staff with continuous professional development opportunities. For example, the special educational needs coordinator regularly attends training events. She shares her knowledge with all staff. However, leaders recognise that staff do not always have consistent opportunities to share good practice. As a result, staff are not always able to extend their teaching skills across all areas of the nursery, at the highest levels.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• strengthen how staff support children during focused activities to concentrate and join in at the highest levels
• develop further how good practice is shared so that teaching is of consistently high quality across the nursery.