Charlestown Private Day Nursery Ltd

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are happy and safe at this setting. They demonstrate good personal, social and emotional skills. For example, children get to know others and build positive relationships, as they have opportunities to interact with their peers from different rooms across the setting. Children show care and concern for living things as they help to care for the setting's rabbit. Behaviour at the setting is good and children demonstrate good independence. They each have a role in supporting the smooth running of their room. For example, individual children help serve lunch. They take pride in completing this task and relish the opportunity of the role. These tasks help to prepare children for life in modern Britain.

Children know the expectations and routines of the day and these are well embedded. Children anticipate key parts of the day and show enthusiasm at specific stages. For example, children eagerly await the time when they can choose a song and join in. They demonstrate excellent listening skills and join in with songs with delight, demonstrating good communication skills.

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

• Warm interactions from staff help build on children's confidence. For example, children say hello to staff from other rooms and staff address children by name. Children confidently ask questions, such as when they notice changes to staff's appearance and they ask, 'where has all your hair gone?'. This shows children feel safe and secure enough to question changes.
• Staff use language well to explain information. This helps children to feel comfortable in their environment. Children have positive behaviour and attitudes towards their learning. They are keen to help keep the rooms tidy. For example, children help to sweep up the sand. This shows that children understand the importance of helping and working together.
• The setting provides children with opportunities to understand equality and diversity. For example, children learn about differences through planned activities and events. Children try different foods and activities from around the world. Home traditions are also discussed and valued. This allows children to celebrate differences and learn about different cultures.
• Leaders effectively organise the space provided, maximising opportunities for learning. For example, the messy play area is timetabled, meaning children have more quality time during play in this area. This also supports children's understanding of sharing and turn taking.
• Partnerships with parents are strong and staff value the importance of continuing learning at home. For example, parents receive home-learning bags that they can explore with their children at home. This provides learning opportunities parents can access with their children outside the setting.
• Support for children's developing communication and language is good. Staff speak in full sentences, modelling the correct language for children. This helps to support children's emerging vocabulary.
• Children's independence is well supported. For example, children are encouraged to blow their own noses and put their tissues in the bin. This helps to support children's independence, and growing health and self-care skills.
• Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities receive tailored learning opportunities. For example, staff request learning equipment to support children's individual needs. Management review these requests. This means all staff share their knowledge of children to effectively use the funds available.
• The key-person system facilitates smooth settling in for both children and parents. For example, parents stay with their young children and babies until they are confident. Staff also provide an extra room, where children can play until settled. This allows children the opportunity to build key relationships first, promoting their emotional needs well.
• While there are strong key person and transition procedures in place, staff do not always fully utilise these opportunities to gather a wide range of information about what children already know and can do. As a result, learning intentions are not as precise to support children's rapid progress from early on.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• enhance procedures for transitions that provide staff with more information about what children know and can do and that help staff to plan precisely for children's learning from early on.