Chaston Nursery School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Staff understand the importance of attachment in young children, and they work hard to form strong bonds with children. Staff are responsive and nurturing. They get to know children's individual personalities well to ensure that all children benefit from the curriculum throughout the day. This resonates with children's happiness and confidence in the setting. For example, children cheerfully show the structures that they build and take pride in their achievements.

Staff demonstrate an ambition and passion to offer a high-quality curriculum for children. They have a good understanding of children's next steps, and carefully consider children's interests when planning their learning. Leaders embed the curriculum securely across all ages. This helps children to prepare well for the next stage of their learning.

Children engage enthusiastically in learning opportunities. Staff teach children stories, songs and rhymes throughout the day. Children enjoy learning new mathematical skills, such as shapes, colours and quantities as they play. Children develop positive attitudes towards learning.

Staff praise and promote children's independence. For example, children serve themselves food and water and use cutlery to feed themselves. Children share resources with their friends independently and take an active role in child-led play. This motivates children to collaborate and play well.

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

• Leaders ensure that there is an effective key-person system in the setting, and staff know children very well. Leaders and staff work closely with parents to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. This helps staff to assess children's progress and recognise and support their learning needs early.
• Staff make sure that reading books is an important part of the daily routine. Children listen to the stories enthusiastically, look at the books independently and recognise the familiar lines when staff read with them. This promotes children's development of a love of books and literacy.
• Overall, children's behaviour is positive and respectful. Staff teach the children the nursery's golden rules to help them reflect on these rules. For example, one child explains why they should walk instead of run and says, 'we may fall'. Staff model kind behaviour and say 'gentle hands' to help children remember expected behaviours. However, on occasion, staff do not always provide opportunities for children to develop further in their ability to understand the impact of their actions and regulate their emotions.
• Staff regularly set appropriate physical challenges for children. Younger children crawl and cruise around confidently. Older children have plenty of opportunities to practise their gross motor skills, such as running, jumping, climbing and balancing as they play. Children strengthen their hand muscles as they use resources such as scissors, tongs and play dough. This supports children's physical development well and they learn how to assess risks safely from an early age.
• Staff create different opportunities to teach children about wider communities. For example, children visit the local library and community centre during their outings. The nursery often welcomes parents to talk about their culture and festivals in the classrooms. Children also share their home experiences with their peers in regular show-and-tell sessions. This sparks meaningful conversations among children, and teaches children what makes them unique.
• Leaders support parents well, and the parents praise the nursery staff for their caring and responsive nature. They receive daily updates from the staff on the nursery app and learn how to extend children's learning at home during regular meetings. This contributes to strong parent partnership and strengthens the opportunities for children's progress.
• Leaders offer a welcoming and supportive environment for the staff. Staff have opportunities to talk about their welfare and professional development during regular supervisions and well-being chats. This helps staff to feel valued and appreciated. Leaders demonstrate reflective practice, and they show dedication to make improvements that are in the best interests of children.
• Staff use their knowledge of their key children to offer a calm and settled atmosphere in general. However, at times, staff do not plan well ahead of the transitions and engage children purposefully in their routine. This impacts on children's behaviour during these crucial times.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• strengthen the strategies that staff use to support children's positive behaviour, so these are used consistently
• continue to support staff to manage transitions more smoothly.