Cheeky Monkeys Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children thrive in this nurturing setting. Staff welcome them warmly on arrival and ask parents for any information that may have an impact on their child's well-being throughout the day. This helps staff to settle children and meet their needs. Children arrive happily. Older children are delighted to see their peers and immediately get involved in a range of play opportunities. Younger children benefit from close physical comfort from staff. This helps them to feel secure, and as a result, they move away confidently to explore their stimulating learning environment.

Children develop their imagination and engage fully in pretend play. Older children enjoy drawing themselves to create a passport. They organise the furniture to make an aeroplane and talk animatedly about which countries they will visit. Children invite staff into their play. This helps children to take turns and negotiate the rules of their game.

Children benefit greatly from access to outdoor play spaces. Each room has a dedicated learning environment that supports children to choose whether they would like to play indoors or outdoors. Staff encourage children to develop their physical strength and stamina as they engage in active play opportunities. Staff understand the importance of the connection between physical activities and emotional regulation. For example, they support children to use a small trampoline and large yoga balls, which helps them to feel calm and settled.

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

• Leaders are inspirational. They support staff to develop professionally. They ensure there are many opportunities for staff to take on elevated responsibilities. This helps to consistently drive improvement across the setting. Leaders create a culture of reflection, which supports staff to identify their strengths and work effectively on any areas for development.
• Leaders have developed a well-sequenced curriculum that is ambitious for all children. They support staff to identify clear intentions for children's learning. Staff work in close partnership with parents to gather and share information that they use effectively to plan for children's individual development. This helps all children to make good progress across the seven areas of learning.
• Staff take a lead from children's interests. For example, when children show an interest in food, they provide a range of fresh vegetables for them to use in role play. Children develop excellent hand-eye coordination as they chop the vegetables to make 'potato soup'. Staff praise children as they take turns with the resources on offer. This helps children to play cooperatively with their peers.
• From a very early age, children develop their independence and get involved in their personal care. Staff support children to use cutlery effectively and to wipe their faces after lunch. Older children serve drinks and scrape their plates when they have finished eating. This helps children to develop important life skills.
• Partnership working with parents is highly effective. Parents say that they are well informed and meaningfully included in their child's learning. They appreciate the detailed feedback from staff. Parents have the opportunity to visit the setting on a regular basis for themed play sessions. They state that the support on offer to families is exceptional.
• Staff respect the privacy of children as they carry out personal care routines. They make the most of this opportunity for one-to-one interaction. Staff talk gently and comfort babies by singing when they become distressed or unsettled. The effective key-person system across the setting helps children to feel safe and secure as they form emotional connections with staff.
• Children behave well. Staff consistently help them to make positive behaviour choices. For example, they gently remind children of the setting's golden rules, such as using their 'walking feet' indoors. Staff use gentle distraction from an early age to support children's awareness of how their actions may have an impact on others. They praise children when they display wanted behaviour, which helps to build their self-esteem.
• Overall, staff are strong role models for children's communication, listening and attention skills. They extend children's vocabulary and ensure they understand any new words as they use them in context. However, on occasions, staff interrupt children's thinking with questions during child-led play. This can distract children from their own ideas as they stop what they are doing to respond.
• For the most part of the day, routines implemented by staff are effective in supporting children's emotional needs. However, some routines for younger children are not as well embedded. For example, staff try to implement small-group time just before lunch, while children are tired and sometimes distressed. This means that children do not gain the most from this experience.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support staff to minimise interruptions to children's play in order to fully support children's own ideas and thinking skills
• review the routines for younger children in order to support them to become fully involved in small-group activities.