Charley's Angels Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children adore coming to this nursery. They eagerly greet practitioners and are excited for the day ahead. Children seek out their key persons and cuddle them. Practitioners lie with babies, gently singing and giving them physical comfort. Babies fall asleep quickly. Children have warm and affectionate attachments with practitioners and demonstrate they feel emotionally secure. They are very happy. Children behave well and develop extremely positive attitudes to their learning. From a young age, children develop an understanding of using manners and the expectations for their behaviour. They say 'please' and 'thank you' when practitioners help them to peel fruit. Children say 'excuse me' when they want practitioners' attention. When it is time to put resources away, children help each other without being asked. They show enthusiasm, curiosity and engagement in all they do. Children develop high levels of self-esteem and confidence.

Staff plan a curriculum which provides a vast range of interesting and engaging activities, following The Curiosity Approach TM for which they are working towards an accreditation. Practitioners plan exciting opportunities for children to develop their problem-solving skills. For example, children play together twisting and manipulating a selection of loose parts. This play encourages children's curiosity and creativity. Children pretend to be superheroes. Practitioners teach children to negotiate, share and to resolve conflicts through social play. They encourage children to recreate situations, such as pretending to be knights, that involve challenges and bravery. Children practise handling their feelings of fear and joy while building essential skills, such as empathy and resilience. Practitioners teach children about charities. Children develop knowledge on different causes they care about, and also how giving can help others. They are deeply engaged in their learning.

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

• Practitioners give children's communication and language skills a very high priority in the curriculum. They expertly model and reinforce key vocabulary throughout the nursery. Children confidently copy their lead. Practitioners provide high-quality interactions with children. They actively listen to children and ask thoughtful questions for children to describe their play. Children reply excitedly with detailed responses. Practitioners support children's critical thinking extremely well.
• Practitioners place a strong focus on children's personal, social and emotional development. They teach children about their feelings, associating them with colours they might know from a story about feelings which is regularly referenced and embedded in the settings daily routines. Practitioners talk to children about how they feel and why they think they feel like that. They remind children it is okay to feel different emotions. Children learn to understand their emotions and self-regulate.
• Children learn new strategies for storing and retrieving information, such as when practitioners teach them to play cards. Practitioners teach children about patterns, sequencing and sorting by colour and number. This supports children's mathematical development very effectively.
• Children engage in construction across various environments. Practitioners skilfully engage in children's play as they build in the mud garden. They provide resources for children to work together. Children create a bridge over a puddle. They use their strength to stack tyres and wood to climb on. Practitioners teach children new language as they are engaged in their play, such as 'over', 'above' and 'on'.
• Through the nurturing environment, children learn to understand and follow routines. Practitioners teach children to take turns and share. Children put resources away and join circle time eagerly. They settle quickly to their learning.
• Practitioners make sure that all children receive the support and guidance they need to thrive. There is a clear process for identifying children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Parents and carers of children with SEND are especially complimentary about the work of practitioners and leaders. They appreciate how the nursery ensures that all children learn and explore confidently alongside their peers. Managers use funding extremely well to help all children to make significant progress.
• Relationships with parents are outstanding. Practitioners make sure that parents are part of their child's learning. Parents talk enthusiastically about the different home learning packs. They describe the enjoyment their children get and the knowledge they develop through loose parts play and The Curiosity Approach TM. Parents report that communication sharing and practitioners' support are excellent.
• Leadership is extremely strong. The dedicated management team is passionate and strives for excellence. It leads the setting with determination through shared values and goals. Practitioners consistently report high levels of support for their well-being. There is also effective engagement through team meetings and supervision sessions. This ensures that children receive a very high quality of education.
• Children learn to develop their independence and self-care skills. Practitioners encourage babies to eat food with their hands, developing their hand-eye coordination as they do so. Older children self-serve their lunch. Practitioners support them sensitively to learn their left and right when using cutlery. Children show great pride in their emerging skills as they take their plate away afterwards. They develop confidence in their own abilities.