Childrens Learning Centre

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children thrive in this exceptional nursery. They are provided with high-quality care and an extremely calm and stimulating learning environment. Children are inspired to engage in purposeful play, indoors and outdoors, with a wide range of resources that encourage them to be curious and creative. Children feel safe and secure in the well-organised nursery. They build incredibly strong bonds with staff, for whom they show genuine affection. Staff focus strongly on supporting children's emotional well-being and adapt their approach according to what children need.

Children develop a strong sense of right and wrong. They consistently display excellent behaviour due to well-established boundaries and carefully structured routines. Staff have very high expectations for all children, who respond positively to the experiences on offer.

Older children listen attentively and become engrossed in activities. They hear extensive new vocabulary and laugh infectiously as the manager enthusiastically preforms well-loved stories. Children confidently answer questions and use new words they have learned. Staff ask open questions that successfully challenge children to think, respond and say what they know.

The curriculum is skilfully tailored to meet children's needs and this setting excels in supporting all children to reach their full potential. The managers' undeniable commitment, passion and determination to provide an exceptional provision for children to flourish in, are inspiring.

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

• Staff are excellent role models. They provide superb support to children in all areas of the curriculum. There is an exceptionally strong focus on developing children's language and the skills they need for future learning. Staff introduce phonics to teach older children that letters and words have meaning. Children identify the letters in their name and begin to try and form each letter. Some children successfully write their whole name, proudly showing staff and visitors how they write from left to right.
• Staff build effective partnerships with parents, who are exceptionally complimentary about the setting. Staff share children's learning through daily feedback. They actively encourage parents to extend children's learning at home. For example, they provide older children with resources they can share with their parents at home.
• The members of the management team value their staff. They champion staff both personally and professionally. Well-being is high on the agenda during one- to-one meetings, as well as informally in this close knit team. Staff benefit from regular constructive feedback about their practice and receive encouragement and coaching that further inspires and motivates them. Staff are well supported to manage their workload and given time to complete any additional responsibilities.
• Staff skilfully support children's early mathematical development through everyday activities. For example, older children use string to measure and identify differences in height. They thoroughly enjoy using beads to create patterns while making necklaces. Young children confidently sort objects by colour and point to each item as they begin to count to three. Staff ensure that number rhymes feature heavily throughout the day. Babies and toddlers readily join in, attempting to count backwards from four, during favourite songs.
• There are excellent systems to monitor children's progress. Staff quickly identify gaps in children's learning. They provide targeted support for children and seek advice from other professionals to enhance their teaching. All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and children who speak English as an additional language, make excellent progress.
• Children behave exceptionally well, developing high levels of self-control. They have a good understanding of expectations and benefit from an incredibly positive environment that fosters mutual trust and respect between them and staff. Children form strong friendships with their peers. They share toys and learn to take turns as they play. For example, young children and babies concentrate exceptionally well as they explore and make discoveries. They patiently wait their turn, watching as their friends press buttons and respond by clapping and moving to the music they hear.
• Staff skilfully encourage children to take risks and consider how they can make activities safe for themselves and others. For example, children work together to create an obstacle course using milk crates. They show tremendous empathy as they check on each other and explain to their friends how to get down from the crates safely.