Children 1st @ Derby Road

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children settle in and choose what they would like to play with from a wide range of options. They confidently move around the rooms and the outside area safely. Younger children use slides independently and squeal with delight as they jump into balls at the bottom. Older children become 'pirates' and 'walk the plank', jumping into the 'sea'. This helps children to develop their imagination and physical skills. Babies and staff form strong attachments with one another. Babies snuggle close to staff for reassurance and sit on their laps to join in with activities, such as using musical instruments. They show great enjoyment as they pick up the instruments, shake them and listen to the different sounds they make.

Children have a positive attitude to their learning and are eager to join in the activities that the staff plan for them. Pre-school children excitedly make a vegetable superhero after listening to a story about a 'super potato'. They each choose a vegetable and put eyes, capes and belts on their vegetables. Children talk with staff about their super vegetable and imagine the powers they have. They decide their heroes are strong, fast and helpful to their friends. Staff develop the activity further and discuss with children the names of their super vegetables. One child says his vegetable's name is 'Captain Carrot' and another child says 'it's Iron Broccoli'.

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

• The manager is passionate about her role. Since the last inspection, staff now support children who prefer to play outside more to develop their investigation skills. For example, staff introduce children to a mud kitchen. Children enjoy this experience and extend their own learning by making a 'vegetable soup'. They name the vegetables and explore the textures of the wet and dry ingredients.
• Staff foster children's language skills effectively. They make eye contact with babies and get down to their level as they talk to them. Staff sing songs and use sign language to communicate with children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. They encourage pre-school children to remember phrases from books, such as ''help' cried the peas' and ''oh' cried the broccoli'. This also helps to support children's early literacy skills.
• Staff support children to use their small-muscle skills. Babies and young toddlers excitedly swirl paint around with their fingers. Older toddlers use spoons to scoop up sand and flour and begin to make circular patterns. Pre-school children use crayons. They show that they can write their name and are beginning to form letters correctly. Practising these skills helps to strengthen children's fingers and hands, which supports their future learning and readiness for school.
• Parents speak highly of the nursery and say that staff are professional, know their children, and are very friendly. Staff share children's learning with parents and show them photographs of what their children are doing while at the nursery. They enquire about the experiences the children have at home and extend these to enhance learning. For example, some children do not have gardens at home so staff provide opportunities to widen their understanding of nature. Children dig in the nursery garden, plant vegetables and hunt for insects.
• Staff help children to develop their personal skills. They encourage children to try to do things for themselves. Toddlers know how to wash their hands and pre-school children can tell staff that they wash their hands 'to get rid of the germs'. Pre-school children also learn to take risks for themselves. For example, they cut up their own grapes at snack time and use scissors carefully as they cut material.
• Staff are positive role models and guide children's behaviour. Staff working with the toddlers remind them to take care and not to push as they go down the slide in case they hurt their friends. Pre-school children show good self-regulation as they play together. For example, they remind others whose turn it is to roll the objects down the tubes.
• Staff provide an interesting curriculum, where children learn through play. They plan a variety of activities to enhance children's learning, such as making pictures out of different shapes. Staff consider children's interests and prior learning when they interact in positive ways with them as they play. However, some staff are less clear on what skills and knowledge they want children to gain through the activities they choose to engage in.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• strengthen staff's understanding of how to implement the learning intentions for activities, so they are clear on what skills and knowledge they want children to gain.