Cavendish Lodge Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children arrive happy and eager to start their learning. Practitioners provide a welcoming environment and know children well. Children search for their key person when they enter, showing excitement when they see them. Practitioners have high expectations for children's behaviour. They clearly explain and remind all children about the golden rules in the nursery. Practitioners role model how and when to use manners. They react swiftly when they see children who may need support to share. Practitioners praise children for being kind and helping their friends to tidy up. Children tell practitioners when their friends have followed a golden rule. They are aware of the expectations for their behaviours and try to follow them explicitly.

Practitioners provide opportunities for children to develop in all areas of the curriculum. Children are very eager to join in with activities. They investigate sensory materials, searching under leaves for small pumpkins. Children are curious and engaged in their play. They use sticks to tap pans. Practitioners teach them about the different sounds. Children swing noise tubes around copying the funny sounds, laughing as they do so. Practitioners teach them about the pitch, such as 'high' and 'low'. Children excitedly get their outdoor clothing on. They laugh and giggle as they run and jump in puddles. The curriculum is fun and challenging for children.

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

• Long-standing practitioners teach children with passion, energy and purpose. Their interactions with children are of a high quality. Practitioners maximise all opportunities to extend children's learning. For instance, when children role play making pizza, they teach children about size, halves and quarters. Children create potions and practitioners teach them about weight as they place items into a bowl of water. Children are surprised as they learn what sinks and what floats. They are deeply engaged in their learning.
• Children have exciting opportunities to learn about mathematics. They learn about force and speed as they pour water down pipes. Practitioners extend children's learning and add balls to the water flow. Children build with wooden blocks. Practitioners teach children about three-dimensional shapes, using rich language, such as 'sphere' and 'cube'. They teach children about colour when they make marks. Children show their early understanding of mathematics.
• The setting promotes diversity well. There are several languages spoken within the setting. Practitioners teach children about different cultures, family make-up and foods from around the world. Children learn about their similarities and differences and celebrate these. They learn what makes them unique.
• Children develop a deep understanding of the world. They grow flowers and herbs. Practitioners teach children about life cycles and recycling. They give children ownership of a compost bin. Children reuse the soil to fertilise the environment. They learn about using waste as reusable materials.
• Practitioners support children's muscle development well. For example, they encourage children to use fishing rods to catch fish in a water tray. Children thread coloured ribbons through a large net, which helps to develop their hand-eye coordination. Children run and weave through coloured cones. They ride wheeled toys and negotiate obstacles. This supports children to strengthen their large and small muscles.
• All children make good progress, particularly children who speak English as an additional language and children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Practitioners complete thorough observations of children. They use this information to identify any areas of needs at the earliest opportunity. Practitioners are trained in early intervention strategies. They use visual prompts to help all children to communicate. Children take books and home learning packs home. This supports continuity in their learning at home and early language and literacy development.
• Managers carry out safe recruitment checks and induction procedures for new practitioners. This ensures that all practitioners are suitable to work with children and have a good understanding of policies and procedures. Managers carry out supervision sessions and appraisals. This ensures that staff have opportunities for professional development.
• However, during play, less confident practitioners do not consistently engage children in conversation, guide their learning or challenge them. The support and coaching for staff who are less confident to follow children's lead are not as effective. This means, at times, staff do not maximise children's learning potential. That said, practitioners consistently report high levels of support for their emotional welfare.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• consider how to support all staff, particularly those who are less confident, to follow children's lead.