Cheeky Monkees Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children engage very well in their learning and have great fun in this nursery. Older children demonstrate this as they show the inspector photos of visits they have been on. These include trips to the local care home to take Christmas cards to the residents. Staff help children to take an active part in their community, and children enjoy visiting local shops and other features in the area. Staff plan a well-thought-out curriculum and provide inspiring, innovative activities that children engage well in. For instance, very young children in the baby room copy the actions of staff as they make sounds with a paintbrush along the edge of a mirror. Two-year-old children enjoy exploring real foods, such as broccoli and lemons. Staff help them to cut the food and they enjoy trying this out for themselves. Children make good progress in their learning.

Staff set out clear age-appropriate rules and boundaries for children. They make their expectations, such as walking indoors, clear so children know what is expected of them. Older children demonstrate their understanding by using the words 'walking feet' and proceed to follow this instruction correctly. Staff encourage children to concentrate and persevere in their learning. This helps children to develop positive attitudes that will support their future lives in school and beyond.

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

• The manager and staff plan an ambitious curriculum that helps children to develop a love of books and stories. For example, they successfully use the book 'Dear Zoo' as their 'Book of the Month' where children's skills are progressively developed throughout the rooms. In addition, the staircase leading to the pre-school room has been skilfully and beautifully restored to showcase a range of popular children's books, reflecting the building's historical use as a library.
• Staff form very strong bonds with children, who respond very well in return. This is illustrated when two-year-old children crawl into staff's laps and receive cuddles from them, particularly if they are feeling tired. Very young children shuffle around the floor on their bottoms and are happy for staff to pick them up and give them care and attention.
• Children show high levels of concentration and attention throughout the nursery. Staff implement a curriculum based on curiosity and investigation. Babies show this when they explore textures, including oats, and feel them with their hands, rubbing them together. Older children explore and make their own 'potions'. They enjoy the feel of the liquid on their hands.
• Children behave very well. This becomes apparent when two-year-old children respond quickly to clear reminders when they become a little too loud and excitable as they play. Children know how to keep themselves safe in the nursery. Older children demonstrate this as they hold the handrail to go up the staircase on arrival in the morning.
• The manager shows a high level of dedication and is passionate about supporting children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and those who may be disadvantaged. Children's needs are swiftly identified and plans made to secure intervention and promote their good progress, should this be required. Successful partnership working with external professionals ensures children make progress and get the support they need. Additional funding is used successfully to help support children's learning.
• Partnerships with local schools are good, overall. Nursery staff invite school staff to visit children in nursery and accompany children on visits to school. This help to prepare children before they move on. Some children attend school nursery in the morning and are then collected by nursery staff to spend the afternoon in nursery. Staff share some information about children's welfare at this time. However, more detailed information about where children may be receiving extra help at school is not shared consistently to provide greater continuity in their learning.
• Staff plan well, overall, to support children's early writing skills. Very young children use their fingers to explore textures, such as oats, and older children confidently use pencils and clip boards to make marks. However, occasionally, staff do not recognise when children do not have enough space to fully extend their elbow movements when they are moving towards using a correct pencil grip. Such occasions do not successfully support children's skills to an even higher level.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support staff to develop a stronger understanding of how to extend children's early writing skills further
• work even more closely in partnership with other settings, including schools the children attend, to provide even greater continuity in children's learning.