Cheeky Cherubs Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children arrive excitedly at this nursery. They are greeted with a warm hug from staff. Staff establish consistent routines. For example, children wash their hands and self-register before they begin playing. The leader has devised a well-thought-out curriculum. Staff plan a good range of enticing activities that captivate children's interests and concentration. For example, children develop strong hand muscles and good hand-to-eye coordination. They remain deeply absorbed using spoons to pour coloured water into narrow-necked bottles. Toddlers enjoy squeezing spray bottles outdoors. Older babies persist as they pluck various miniature suction toys off tables.

Staff ensure that children play in a well-organised environment. Children are inquisitive learners who explore the environment and choose their own play with confidence. Staff sit with children and effectively model positive play and interactions. As a result, children relax and, for the most part, play harmoniously. Staff have high expectations for children's independence and behaviour. They speak to children with kindness and respect. Staff dedicate their time to promote individual children's good turn-taking and sharing skills. Children quickly learn the difference between acceptable and unacceptable behaviour. Staff encourage children's good manners. Children learn to say 'please' and 'thank you'.

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

• Staff make good use of opportunities to teach children the language of feelings. Young children learn to say how they feel and recognise when their friends are upset.
• Staff promote children's communication well. They clearly narrate and emphasise words for children to copy. Staff clearly describe objects and actions for children as they play with them. Children learn to clearly pronounce words such as 'amazing' and 'octopus'.
• Staff engage younger children in meaningful role-play activities that align with their interests. For example, toddlers learn to be imaginative. They develop simple narratives as they pretend to feed baby dolls. Afterwards, children set the table and pretend to eat and drink in the home corner.
• Overall, staff have good standards of hygiene. They sanitise surfaces and immediately clear any spillages. Staff encourage children's thorough handwashing when they arrive and before they eat. Nevertheless, staff miss opportunities to promote children's understanding of their good health and how germs can spread.
• Staff promote children's good self-help skills well. Children put on their own shoes and pour their own drinks. At snack time, children independently serve their portions of healthy chopped fruit and vegetables.
• Indoors, children enjoy their yoga time. They happily dance to action songs and enjoy exploring what their bodies can do. Children learn to follow simple instructions as they bend, stretch and twist together.
• Key-person systems are highly effective. Staff watch children closely to find out what they know and can do. They use their observations to plan activities that help children to make progress across their areas of learning.
• The manager swiftly identifies children who are not making typical progress. This leads to timely support programmes and appropriate partnership working with other professionals. Consequently, children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are included well.
• Parents have high praise for the manager and her staff team. They feel their children receive plenty of individual attention in their care. Parents say they receive quality daily feedback from staff. They feel their children develop good social and independence skills.
• Staff feel well supported by the manager and are happy in their roles. They feel positive about working in a small and close-knit team. Staff regularly access training that helps to extend their knowledge and skills as childcare practitioners. Despite this, the manager's system for monitoring staff's understanding of the nursery's policies needs strengthening. This is because not all staff demonstrate a secure understanding of all of the setting's procedures.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• seek additional ways to further promote individual children's understanding of their good health and how germs can spread
• strengthen existing systems for monitoring and training so all staff demonstrate a secure understanding of the nursery's policies and procedures.