Cherubs Nursery & After Care

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children have fun and enjoy their time at nursery. They get fully involved in the exciting and engaging activities on offer. Babies laugh and babble as they explore giant tubs of hay. They lift the hay above their heads, sprinkle it around and scrunch it in their hands. Toddlers delight in mixing bubbles with paint around a large tray. They are fascinated to watch the colours change, and find different ways to make marks with their fingers and brushes. Staff join in and are good role models as they play alongside and encourage children to become involved in the experiences.

Children are well supported to feel settled and secure. Staff are nurturing, loving and form close bonds with the children. Children who are new to the nursery are supported by their key person to join in and make friends. Babies snuggle with staff when they feel tired or unsure. All children are comfortable and happy. They develop a strong sense of belonging, which enables them to thrive.

Children behave well. Pre-school children concentrate and focus on the challenge of building a large castle. They work together to solve problems. They are considerate and polite towards each other as they take turns to place each piece. Children are developing the skills they need in readiness for the next stage in their learning.

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

• Leaders have developed a curriculum that focuses on the key skills children need at each stage in their learning. Staff clearly understand what they want children to learn through the experiences they provide. They know the children well and ensure they are making good progress and are achieving the best possible outcomes.
• Staff encourage children to be independent and challenge them to do things for themselves. For example, pre-school-age children find bull-clips with their names on. They develop their hand-to-eye coordination as they carry out the tricky task of putting the clips on their outdoor shoes to hang them on their pegs.
• Staff place a high focus on encouraging children's love of reading. Children enjoy snuggling up to listen to their favourite stories that staff enthusiastically read to them. Staff spend as much time as children want looking through books together and discussing the plots and characters. They give children the time they need to respond to questions and enhance their critical-thinking skills.
• Staff get to know children well. They find out about their interests and experiences from parents in order to support and enhance their learning in the nursery. Staff share pictures and observations of children through the nursery's online platform. However, staff do not yet share information about how parents can enhance children's individual learning at home.
• Staff teach children about the world around them. Children learn about growth and what happens during spring. For example, they learn the names of animals and their babies, which are born during spring. They water carrots in the garden and learn about how water is hydrating and helps them to grow.
• Staff support children to make healthy choices. They ensure that children have plenty of opportunities to be physically active and get plenty of fresh air. Staff have taken part in a tooth-brushing programme to help support children's oral health. Children learn to brush their teeth during their time in the nursery. They talk about how to keep healthy and the choice of food and drinks that they make.
• Staff teach children to manage their own risk in a number of ways. For example, they teach children how to keep safe when supervised using tools. Children learn to manage risk using climbing equipment. Staff teach them about road safety and water safety when out on walks in the local area and when visiting the local pond. However, leaders have yet to consider how to incorporate teaching children about safe use of technology and online safety into their curriculum.
• Leaders ensure that staff receive effective training that has an impact on their work with children. For example, recent training in supporting positive behaviour has allowed them to implement new techniques. Staff are gentle and considerate in the way they support children to make positive choices and understand behavioural expectations.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• enhance children's development further by providing support for home-learning opportunities
• include teaching about how to keep safe online and when using technology in the curriculum in an age-appropriate way.