Castle Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children leave their parents at the door and enter the setting eagerly. When babies or younger children enter the setting slightly unsettled, staff shower them with lots of love and cuddles. This helps them to settle extremely quickly. Children regularly seek out the staff when required. Staff notice and respond to children's individual care needs. This helps children to form lasting bonds with their key person. Staff acknowledge children's feelings and talk to them about their actions. This supports them to learn right from wrong. Children behave well.

Children are provided with an array of activities, that cover all areas of learning. Children of all ages enjoy sensory activities, such as paint, water, sand and rice play. Babies use their hands to explore the different materials. Older children use a range of equipment and tools to fill, empty and scoop the materials. Most children show lots of concentration as they attempt to climb the steps or balance on the different play equipment. Babies and younger children enjoy the cause and effect as they drop and roll the balls onto the floor. Older children enthusiastically give meanings to marks they make. Staff work well in partnership with other professionals. All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), make good progress in their learning.

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

• The curriculum covers all areas of learning. It is designed to build on what children know and can do over time. Leaders place focus on supporting children's communication and language development. They use a range of assessments and plan activities that support children to build on their listening skills. Children enjoy joining in with familiar rhymes and listening to stories. However, there is scope to enhance children's communication and language development even further. This is because staff do not yet remodel children's language or provide them with enough space and time to think about their responses to questions.
• Staff know the children very well. They gather children's starting points from parents. Staff then continue to observe children's development to help identify any gaps in their learning. They use what they know about the children to plan a range of activities for them to engage with. However, there are occasions where staff do not support less confident children to become fully submerged in the learning experiences on offer to them.
• Children with SEND receive the specialist help and support they require swiftly. This is because staff regularly assess children's development to identify any areas of concern. Staff then make referrals to other professionals and work in partnership with parents to help develop effective care plans.
• Parents speak positively about the setting. They state they can see the progress their child is making in their development. Staff provide parents with tips and activities they can use at home to continue to support their child.
• Staff speak positively about the support they receive from leaders. This includes how leaders support their own well-being. Leaders regularly monitor staff practice and complete supervisions. This helps them to identify any further training needs for staff.
• Leaders are keen to support children's personal development. They cater their settling-in sessions to meet the individual needs of each child. However, there are occasions where staff do not fully support children to build on their self-help skills and/or independence. For instance, staff sometimes complete tasks for the children, rather than allowing them time to try and complete it for themselves.
• Leaders place focus on children learning about themselves and others. They are keen for children to learn how they can value their similarities and differences. Staff plan a range of activities throughout the year to support the children to learn about others. This helps to prepare children for life in modern Britain.
• Children are provided with lots of opportunities to learn how they can stay healthy and clean. This is because staff encourage children to wash their hands after using the toilet. Staff also ensure children clean their hands before mealtimes. Children have access to fresh drinking water. They enjoy getting physically active. Staff also provide the children with a range of balanced and healthy meals.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• promote further opportunities for children to build on their self-help skills
• support less confident children to engage and become fully submerged in the range of learning experiences on offer
• support staff to enhance their teaching practice, with an aim to further develop children's communication and language development.