Castle View Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are happy at this welcoming nursery. They arrive eager to explore the various stimulating experiences. For example, children develop their small-muscle skills as they squeeze sliced orange into the water tray, and pluck flower petals to add to the mixture. They benefit from having resources to promote their problem solving skills. For instance, as children dig in the mud they use tubes to transfer the mud from their buckets into the wheelbarrow, which is positioned on a lower level of the garden.

Children are confident and secure. New children settle quickly, as they receive warmth and care from staff while they become familiar with their new surroundings. Children benefit from staff planning activities based on their recent experiences. For instance, children make birthday cakes from dough. They chat freely with staff about their recent birthdays and look at photographs parents have shared of their celebrations. Children beam with happiness as the group take turns singing 'happy birthday' to each other.

Children develop good relationships with their peers. They behave extremely well as they share resources and display thoughtful behaviour to each other. For example, older children help younger children as they carry their lunch plate to the table, and pull out their chair for them to sit down.

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

• Staff well-being is a priority for the managers, resulting in a good level of staff retention. They provide regular supervision meetings and new staff members benefit from the support of a mentor. Staff report feeling valued and part of a supportive team. Managers ensure staff have access to information surrounding mental health awareness. They support staff with their professional development and provide access to a range of training opportunities. This helps them to raise the quality of the provision.
• The managers and staff maintain excellent links with local schools. This helps them to plan for children's next stages in their education. Staff receive 'school readiness' training from local teachers, demonstrating how they deliver phonics and promote writing skills.
• Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) make good progress. The special educational needs coordinator works closely with staff and outside agencies to ensure that all children with SEND receive the support they need to help them make good progress. Interventions are developed in partnerships with parents to maintain a consistent approach.
• Children form strong attachments to staff. The nursery has a comprehensive settling-in process. This allows staff time to build strong relationships with parents and get to know children well. They collect detailed information about each child before they attend, including details of their interests, routines and abilities. This allows staff to plan for children's needs and help them settle quickly through continuity in their care.
• Staff understand the importance of supporting children's communication and language skills. They chat freely to children as they play. Staff ask children questions and comment on their actions. However, staff are not always ambitious with the language they use when talking with children to extend their vocabulary more widely.
• Children learn to be independent at an early age. For example, they remove shoes, hang up coats and know where to place their personal belongings. Children wash their hands before eating and use cutlery at mealtimes.
• Children build good links with their local community. Staff regularly provide a wide variety of trips and experiences that help to promote children's understanding of others. For example, children regularly visit the local library, and they enjoy having snack at a nearby cafe. They experience bus rides and walks to the local parks and farms to see the animals.
• Partnerships with parents are excellent. Parents comment on how well staff listen to their wishes. They described them as 'friendly' and 'helpful'. Parents comment on how their children are excited to share their experiences of nursery when they get home. Staff keep parents updated about their children's learning and development and share ideas for support at home.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• enhance staff understanding and practice of how to help children develop a wide and varied vocabulary.