Child Dynamix Community Nursery - Savoy Road

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Staff are very tuned into children's care needs. They are quick to respond when children need a cuddle or just some reassurance. Children quickly build strong emotional bonds with staff. This help to support children's well-being. They grow in confidence and independence as they play and explore. Children are motivated by the good range of available resources. Staff plan times for children to play outside during the sessions. Babies learn to crawl and walk in their designated outdoor space. Older children gain control and coordination as they run up and down a hill and navigate bikes on the track. Children thoroughly enjoy these times when they are physically active. They learn about the benefits of exercise and fresh air that help them to have happy and healthy lives.

Children behave well and develop strong friendships with others. Staff are good role models. They teach children to talk about their feelings and help them to cope when things are not going well. Children learn how to manage their emotions and to cooperate with each other. They learn the importance of sharing and taking turns when they play together. Children develop their social skills further, such as they sit together at mealtimes.

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

• Leaders develop and monitor the nursery's curriculum to ensure that all children make good progress from their starting points in development. They identify the key skills and knowledge that they want children to achieve over time. Children are well prepared for the new learning challenges they will encounter as they move on to school.
• Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are very well supported in the nursery. The special educational needs coordinator works closely with parents, staff and relevant services to put the right resources in place to support these children. This means that children can continue to access the curriculum and progress further in their learning and development.
• Staff know children very well. They use their observations and information from home to implement the curriculum across the nursery. Staff successfully extend children's learning as they play with them. For example, they encourage children to try different ways to build towers and make models. Children develop the confidence to come up with their own ideas as they play.
• Leaders provide good support for the staff team. They arrange regular supervision meetings, where staff have time to discuss their workload and professional development. Staff access a good range of training that enables them to continue to develop their teaching skills and knowledge.
• Staff generally support children's communication skills well. They introduce new vocabulary to children, for example, through books and small-world play. Staff are very skilful at helping children to learn new words, such as the names of animals. They point out the similarities and difference between the animals, such as a horse and zebra, to help children to remember. However, leaders do not always prioritise support for children who speak English as an additional language to develop their home languages in the nursery.
• Parents are very impressed with the levels of care their children receive in the nursery. They praise the friendly staff team, who always make time to speak to them. Parents value the information that is shared between nursery and home about their children's routines and achievements.
• Children enjoy a good range of nutritious meals and snacks during the day. The nursery cook ensures that information about children that have any specific dietary needs or allergies is current. Parents are kept well informed about the seasonal menus and what their children have eaten during the day.
• Occasionally, staff organise planned activities in a way that does not fully engage children in their learning. When staff provide group times for children there is sometimes a lot of noisy background activity in the room. Children then find it difficult to participate in the group activity. They lose focus and are distracted by what else is happening in the room.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• provide opportunities for all children who speak English as an additional language to use and develop their home languages in the nursery
• organise the daily sessions, so that all children are able to fully engage in planned activities, to support their continued learning and development.