Chadwell Heath Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children show that they are flourishing in this warm and welcoming nursery. They show very positive attitudes towards learning as they join in with a wide range of fun and stimulating activities. Children behave extremely well and demonstrate that they feel happy and secure.

Babies settle in well and receive lots of cuddles and reassurance. They hear lots of singing and staff provide good commentary during activities to help them to hear new language. Older babies delight when exploring bubbles during water play. Staff encourage children to discuss mathematical language such as empty, full, heavy and light, as they experiment with different capacities. There is a real sense of fun and children show positive engagement.

Toddlers have wonderful opportunities to develop their imagination. For instance, they enjoy exploring play dough, and staff successfully introduce the names of different shapes and patterns. This fosters children's language skills and awareness of mathematical concepts. They also eagerly explore paint with rollers and discuss different colours. This helps to enhance their creativity and fine-motor skills.

Staff capture pre-school children's interest well when reading stories and asking questions about their preferences and understanding of events. Children also enjoy using scissors and making original collages. This helps to develop their concentration and hand and eye coordination. All staff have high expectations for children's learning. They are very positive role models that make learning fun.

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

• Staff know children very well and are skilled at planning experiences that build upon their prior learning and help them to develop new knowledge and skills. Staff are well informed about child development and the benefits of delivering a broad and challenging curriculum. As a result, children make very good progress and enjoy their time at the nursery.
• Staff successfully create language-rich environments as children play. For instance, staff constantly introduce new vocabulary and extend children's understanding and communication skills through good questioning and meaningful discussions. This supports children to make positive progress with their speech and language development.
• Children form strong emotional bonds with staff and benefit from caring and attentive interactions. They frequently receive encouragement and praise as they play. This helps to boost their confidence and emotional well-being.
• Leaders and staff place high focus on supporting children to develop a love of reading. This is evident as children benefit from an attractive and well-resourced library within the nursery. Children frequently borrow books, which extends their learning at home. This helps to support their early literacy skills and interest in the world.
• The sense of community created at the nursery is a real strength. A food bank and cooked breakfast service is available at the weekend for people in the community to benefit from. Kindness, support and helping others is deeply rooted in their values and ethos.
• Parents show high levels of appreciation for the dedication of the leaders and staff. They state that they are kind and caring. That their children love attending and they can see positive progress in them.
• Partnerships with other professionals and local schools are well established. This enables children to receive swift additional support if required and creates good levels of continuity for their future learning.
• Staff provide ample opportunities for children to learn about leading healthy lifestyles. For instance, children eat a range of nutritious snacks and meals and have daily opportunities to play outdoors and develop their physical skills.
• The manager is ambitious and committed to ensuring high-quality care and education. There is a strong commitment to staff professional development and frequent evaluations of their practice takes place to strive for future improvement.
• Staff working with toddlers do not always organise routines at lunchtime in the most effective way. Although staff are very kind and helpful, the time frame between tidying up for lunch and eating is quite long. Reviewing this would further support children's understanding of key routines during the day.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• review the organisation of the lunchtime routine in the toddler group to reduce waiting times and help children develop a better understanding of the sequence of this part of the day.