Chestnut@Chesterton

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Staff create an engaging and calm learning environment. Staff's expectations of children's behaviour are high. The nursery is tidy and clean. Tissues and fresh water are readily available for children to access with ease. Staff encourage children to wash their hands regularly. This helps to promote good hygiene practices for later life. Children behave well according to their stage of development. In the pre-school room, children listen during group activities. They are curious and actively explore soil and pretend worms. Staff challenge children when mark making and praise them. Staff use mathematical vocabulary during play to extend their learning. Staff strengthen the learning linked to stories by focusing on one book a week. This helps develop children's imagination during play.

Staff encourage children to get messy and explore through their senses. Pre-school children excitedly use toothpaste and water to bath toy dinosaurs. They confidently talk to the inspector about what they are doing. The mud kitchens are exciting places to be. Children actively explore mud and flowing water. They play alongside each other nicely. Fresh flowers enhance the experience. Staff talk to children about what they are learning. This encourages children to use descriptive and imaginative vocabulary. One child opens a restaurant and describes the 'thick, oozy mud'. Staff ask questions that have many potential answers and listen to children's responses. This helps to develop children's thinking and speaking skills.

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

• Staff realise the importance of celebrating home languages. In the baby room, they work together with parents to ensure they understand words that are important to the children. This helps staff communicate with children and means their needs are met. Staff speak clearly and use repetition to help children learn new words. This supports children who speak English as an additional language to make good progress.
• Lunchtimes are a special time and have a 'family feel'. Staff spend time with all the children and talk to them enthusiastically. They encourage children to try new foods in a gentle and calm way. Staff remind children to drink water after all the 'running around'. Children have manners appropriate for their age. This routine time of day helps children to foster good social skills.
• Staff in the baby room follow home routines as much as possible. This helps children to settle in quickly and happily explore the learning environment. Staff sing with the children while waiting for their food to arrive. Staff are flexible and adapt the routine to suit the individual child. For example, when babies fall asleep during mealtimes, staff tailor the care to meet their needs.
• The management team has a clear vision for the nursery and have implemented positive change. It meticulously monitors patterns and trends of activities and incidents. The team regularly reviews risk assessments and implements changes to help keep children safe.
• The management team values parent partnerships. Staff communicate well with parents and parents speak positively about the nursery. Staff support disadvantaged families and spend funding effectively.
• The management team values the skill set of its staff. The team uses more experienced staff to role model and mentor new staff. Staff report managers support their well-being and professional development, including being able to help their key children develop successfully.
• Staff know their key children well. They support the needs of the groups of children as well as individuals through identifying accurate next steps in learning. Children socialise well and play happily most of the time. However, at times, staff do not always help older children to maintain high levels of concentration and they become distracted from the activity.
• Children are engaged in learning most of the time. Adults provide activities that interest and excite the children. However, they do not always help quieter children remain engaged. For example, toddlers experiment with balls and ramps. However, they lose interest when staff do not support deeper engagement.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• help staff to provide even more interesting and engaging opportunities to extend children's concentration skills
• support staff to develop interactions with children to fully engage quieter and less confident children.