Carealot Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are happy and enjoy their time at this welcoming nursery. The key-person system is well established. This helps children to form strong relationships with familiar adults. All children are well cared for by staff, who know them well. This helps children feel safe and secure.

Children behave well. Staff talk to children about making 'good choices' and encourage them to be kind and share resources. Children make good friendships and play cooperatively with each other. Children show good levels of independence across the nursery. For example, young children use tissues to wipe their own noses. Older children use the toilet independently and know they must wash their hands after using the toilet and before eating.

Children show interest and are keen to join in with activities. Young children show good levels of curiosity as they explore textures, such as rice and breakfast cereal. Older children excitedly make their own play dough and talk about how it feels as they add the different ingredients. Children particularly enjoy being outside, where they have plenty of opportunities to develop their physical skills. For example, they play on the climbing frame, carefully walk across the balancing beams, and energetically push themselves up and down on the see-saw.

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

• The two dedicated managers are committed to providing children with the best possible care and learning experiences. They work closely with parents to make sure they know them well and understand children's home lives. The management team uses additional funding effectively to enhance the children's experiences. For example, the purchase of outside wooden houses ensures that children can play and learn outside in all weather.
• The management team observe staff's practice and provide feedback to support staff and help improve their skills. They meet regularly with staff to discuss any concerns and identify any training needs. The management team ensure staff complete a good range of training. Staff report their well-being is taken into account. They advise they have regular opportunities to share their views about the setting.
• Staff plan a broad curriculum to follow children's interests, support their individual needs and prepare them for school. Overall, staff identify and focus support for children's next steps precisely and share this information with parents. However, this is not always completed across the nursery consistently. As a result, not all parents know how to support their child's next steps in learning at home.
• Overall, staff support children's early language development well. They read children a good variety of stories, sing a wide range of songs and teach older children sign language. However, staff recognise that the level of support currently in place does not help all children to communicate effectively, particularly those learning English as an additional language and those with additional needs.
• Staff skilfully use spontaneous opportunities to extend children's thinking and learning as they play. For example, as children build brick towers, staff encourage children to compare the sizes and introduce mathematical language, such as 'shorter' and 'taller'.
• During mealtimes, staff support children's independence well and promote good table manners. Older children serve themselves at lunchtime and skilfully use knives to cut up their own fruit at snack time. Younger children sit at low level furniture and use cutlery to feed themselves. Staff encourage and praise children, promoting their confidence and self-esteem.
• Parents speak very positively about the nursery. They praise the 'caring and friendly staff' and say, 'it's an amazing, welcoming place'. Parents say their children are happy and 'smile from the moment they go inside'. They complement staff for taking time to talk to them about their children's experiences at nursery when they collect them. Parents comment that they are pleased with the progress their children make in their development at the nursery.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support staff to identify and focus support for children's next steps precisely and share this information with parents consistently
• extend opportunities for all children to build on their communication skills.