Cherubs Worksop

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children enjoy their time at nursery and quickly settle into their chosen activity. They are kind and helpful. For example, children readily invite others to join their games and help to care for their friends by providing them drinks. This supports their developing social skills. Children are learning to manage their feelings and play safely. Staff deal with minor behaviour issues swiftly, and help children understand the need to turn take and share resources with their friends.

Children get plenty of opportunities to practise their small-muscle skills. Babies concentrate as they use spoons to dig in sand. Toddlers use chalks to carefully draw circles on paper. Pre-school children twist open spray bottles to fill them with water. They carefully squeeze the trigger to spray plants. This helps children develop the muscles they need for early writing. Children are inquisitive as they learn about the world around them. They listen to staff as they talk about the herbs they are growing. Children learn that plants need sunshine and water to make them grow. Staff extend this by showing children the plant roots and explain how they drink water from the soil.

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

• Staff build children's self-esteem. They offer words of encouragement so children persevere. For example, toddlers struggle to climb a small climbing frame. Staff suggest they try again and say, 'I know you are going to be amazing'. Children learn from staff who are positive role models. They eagerly clap their friends for their achievements.
• Staff provide children with healthy meals and fresh drinking water. Pre-school children confidently tell staff about the ingredients in their food and why they are healthy. Staff ensure children's dietary requirements and allergies are catered for.
• Staff generally support children's language and communication skills. Pre-school children engage at the 'talking table'. Children draw while staff encourage them to talk about their pictures. This helps them share ideas and develop conversational skills. However, on occasions, staff do not interact with babies as purposefully or comment on what they are doing.
• Staff help support children's growing mathematical and literacy skills. They embed this within children's play. For example, staff name colours and count with babies as they post colourful sticks into a shape sorter. Children play in sand where staff use words, such as 'full', 'empty' and 'heavy'. Pre-school children recognise letters from their names and stamp these into play dough. This is challenged further as staff show them their name tags and encourage them to recognise different letters.
• Overall, large-group activities help children to learn. For example, the majority of children sit well during carpet time and listen to stories. However, some children lose focus and disengage. They play with toy cars and disrupt others as they attempt to talk to friends.
• Staff provide opportunities for children to develop their physical skills. For example, babies gain confidence as they climb a small ramp. Staff provide a helping hand if needed. Pre-school children crawl through tunnels pretending they are snakes. They confidently ride tricycles around a track which staff have created. This helps children develop their muscle strength and coordination skills.
• Overall, children are supported to be independent. Staff help them develop key skills, such as accessing the toilet themselves, wiping their own nose and using cutlery. However, on occasion, staff can be overly helpful. For example, they do not enable toddlers to pour their own drinks or serve themselves food at lunchtime.
• Parents are positive about the care their children receive. They feel their children are developing their communication skills and have made friends. Parents appreciate that staff provide them with advice and support. This includes for children with special education needs and/or disabilities.
• Leaders provide staff with regular professional development opportunities, alongside targeted training to further develop their skills. Staff state they feel valued by managers. This contributes to the positive atmosphere within the nursery.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• review the organisation of group times to help children remain focused
• help staff to improve interactions with babies to encourage their early communication skills
• support staff to embed toddlers' growing independence skills, particularly at mealtimes.