Chapelfield Children's Day Nursery School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Leaders and managers implement an effective key-person system that creates trusting and nurturing relationships between staff and children. Settling-in sessions are tailored to meet the individual needs of children, and parents describe the nursery as an extension of their family. Children are seen and known as individuals. They settle quickly and demonstrate that they feel very happy and safe. Children confidently seek support and reassurance from nurturing and affectionate staff. They approach unfamiliar adults with friendly curiosity. Children quickly become engrossed in the stimulating range of activities on offer, playing happily and chatting with their friends and staff.

Staff consistently implement simple routines and help children rehearse familiar rules when engaging them in activities. They model kind and considerate behaviours and offer calm, effective support and guidance. Children quickly adopt caring and considerate behaviours and delight in being helpful and supportive. For instance, they wait patiently for their turn and help their friends to pour drinks and find a seat at mealtimes. For children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, staff skilfully adapt their teaching and introduce inclusive activities and strategies to ensure that all children make good progress in their learning and development.

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

• Leaders and managers are very ambitious. They strive to ensure that staff and children are well supported so that they can achieve their potential. Leaders and managers have rightly focused on the well-being of staff and each other. All staff report that they feel very well supported and valued, including through regular mentoring and supervision meetings. Staff are motivated to work hard to support the children in their care and develop their own practice. This creates a very purposeful and harmonious atmosphere in the nursery where staff and children can thrive.
• Leaders and managers value their relationships with families. They reflect regularly on how they engage parents and implement changes that further develop a joined-up approach to children's learning and development. Parents value the advice and guidance that are provided by staff to help them support their children's development. They are delighted with the nursery. Parents report that nothing is too much trouble for staff, who create a welcoming, safe place where their children are happy and flourish.
• Staff use everyday activities well to introduce and embed learning. For example, mathematical language is introduced during mealtimes as children happily count spaces and measure out their food. Children learn to manage their own hygiene needs as they use mirrors to check how well they have cleaned their faces after eating. Leaders and managers work closely with staff from the adjoining school, who are keen to tell the inspector that children arrive in Reception very well prepared for school.
• Staff read to children with great expression and enthusiasm. Staff's enthusiasm is infectious, and children learn to love and be excited by stories and rhymes. Children's verbal and non-verbal communication is rewarded by close attention from staff, who introduce signing to further support children's emerging communication skills. Consequently, children build strong foundations to become effective, determined communicators.
• Occasionally, staff do not always build on children's learning. For instance, staff do not consistently teach children how to make their own risk assessments and to take their own actions to avoid tripping over the toys they have set up.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• strengthen staff's understanding of how to build on children's thinking and help them learn to manage risks safely.