Chester Day Nursery and Nursery School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children adapt well to changes in routines, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. They wave their parents off at the door and skip into the nursery with excitement. They confidently greet the inspector and inform him that they 'love nursery'. Children are happy and safe at this vibrant setting. Their laughter fills the air as they play, and they develop close bonds with staff. Children are proud of who they are and where they come from. They talk about what makes them unique, such as their skin and hair colour. Children are keen to take on new challenges, such as learning how to negotiate their balancing skills during an assault course. Overall, children behave well and show positive attitudes towards their learning. However, sometimes, staff do not provide children with clear messages about their behaviour.

Babies enjoy looking at their reflections in low-level mirrors. They move their bodies to music and giggle with delight while exploring cornflour. Toddlers make 'birthday cakes' from dough and fascinate while caring for wildlife. They excitedly talk about the 'bug hotel' and discuss how many legs spiders have. Pre-school children attempt to write their names and enjoy playing with toy sea life creatures. Children develop the necessary skills in readiness for their move on to school.

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

• The manager exhibits strong leadership skills and aspires for the nursery to be outstanding. She includes the views of parents, staff and children in self-evaluation. The manager correctly identifies areas for improvement and is relentless in her determination to bring about change.
• Overall, children access a sequence of learning that builds on what they know and can do. Assessment arrangements are good and gaps in learning close. Sometimes, staff do not provide older children with higher levels of challenge in their learning.
• Partnership working is strong. Parents comment that they 'could not have chosen a better place' for their children to learn. They attend parent evenings and receive daily updates about their children's time at the nursery. Links with the local community and external professionals are built on trust and respect.
• Staff share a love of reading with children. They bring stories to life through role play and animation. Children relish these moments and beam with delight while enacting roles of superheroes. They sit quietly with their friends looking at their favourite stories and talk about which characters are special to them.
• Care practices are good. Staff spend time getting to know children and their families during the settling-in period. Children develop secure relationships with staff and show a strong sense of belonging. Overall, they have positive attitudes to their learning and generally behave well. At times, staff do not provide children with clear messages about their behaviour.
• Staff promote children's physical development very well. They focus on supporting children's large-muscle development through activities, such as yoga. Children enjoy taking part in these lessons and show good coordination as they learn new movements.
• Leaders give high priority to staff well-being. Staff receive rewards for their achievements and these are celebrated across the nursery. Staff attend training, supervision sessions and appraisal meetings. That said, leaders have not fully established a highly effective programme of professional development, to help raise staff practice to a higher level.
• The support in place for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and children who speak English as an additional language is excellent. The manager ensures barriers to learning are removed and all children receive the support they need to succeed. Intervention plans are monitored with rigour and all children make good progress.
• Children in receipt of additional funding make good progress. Leaders provide them with visits to places that they would not usually experience. These include trips to local nature reserves to learn about den building and camping. Children use these skills back at the nursery and become enthralled while making a pretend fire for camping.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• strengthen the curriculum for older children, to provide them with further challenge in their learning
• better support staff to consistently provide children with clear messages about their behaviour
• refine the programme of professional development, to raise staff practice to a higher level.