Cheeky Chums Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

On arrival, children are greeted warmly by staff from the area children are based in. All staff demonstrate a genuinely warm welcome. Following the COVID-19 pandemic, parents and carers continue to handover children in set areas. Information shared at drop off and collection is used to welcome and settle children into the setting. A rich range of languages, including some from specific regions, are known and utilised by staff, to support both parents and children who speak English as an additional language. As a result, parents feel comfortable and children settle very quickly, feeling safe and secure, with an established team of staff. Staff have high expectations of all children. The time spent taking children to their base room is used to chat about what children are going to do and which staff and friends they are going to see. As a result, children feel comfortable and able to join in conversations with familiar staff, sharing thoughts and making plans for their day. Staff are role models for children, demonstrating respectful interactions and communication that children follow. Behaviour is good and staff use praise constantly, although, at times, it is not clear what children are being praised for.

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

• Staff deploy where children are, allowing them the independence to explore resources, while still close by to support and comment when needed. For example, when a child cannot locate a dropped train, staff are able to quickly support by guiding them to where it had fallen, allowing the child to continue with their play.
• Some staff interact well with children, leading activities that engage children. Staff know children well and use their individual likes and interests to support planning for their next steps in learning. As a result, children are eager to explore and share their interest with peers. An interest for one child often extends to become the focus for a whole group of children.
• Children eagerly share what they know and observe when participating in activities. Some staff respond well, encouraging further discussion to extend children's critical thinking. However, there are minor occasions where staff move children on through activities too quickly. For instance, when outside, children point out that the shaving foam they are using is moving around. Staff tell them that this is because the wind is blowing and do not encourage further discussion. This means that some children do not have as many opportunities as others to practise their thinking skills.
• The manager and chef have procedures in place to ensure children's dietary requirements are met. For example, green placemats highlight a vegetarian diet. At mealtimes, children are supported by staff to talk about what they can eat and why. The chef also works with parents to help them understand portion size based on age and healthy balanced diets, as increased child weight has been an impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Parents welcome and value opportunities to share information on their child's learning. Termly meetings with their key person, along with monthly observations and daily updates via an app, result in parents feeling happy with the level of communication they receive. Partnership working with parents is good. Staff discuss and plan developing key self-care skills, such as toilet training, sharing when and how to support consistency between home and nursery.
• Children, parents and staff share a variety of backgrounds. Children's knowledge is broadened by offering opportunities for visits into the local community. Parents are welcomed to share stories and experience, developing children's awareness of similarities and differences between themselves and others.
• Children that may need additional help to make good progress, such as prompt referrals to speech and language therapy, are made with parental consent. Therefore, links to support services across the local authority and health are established and children are supported to develop their speech and communication.
• Staff feel happy and valued by the manager, who is passionate about developing staff practice. By providing training and support, vacancies within the organisation are used as opportunities for staff's professional career development.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• enhance the support for communication and language to ensure staff engage in meaningful conversations and give children time to think and respond
• develop staff's teaching skills to ensure staff make the most of all opportunities to increase children's learning to the highest possible level.