Children's Place Dewsbury

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children show enthusiasm about their learning and are keen to participate in all activities that are available. Children progress in this stimulating environment. Staff consider children's individual needs and capabilities when planning activities. They create individual education plans where necessary to support children's skills for transition. The nursery has an ethos of inclusive practice and supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities well. Staff focus on children's personal, social and emotional development, self-confidence, resilience and school readiness in the nursery. Children behave well.

Staff plan for children by using what they observe children doing and taking account of their interests. They encourage children to explore sensory activities. For example, babies investigate baked flour and water in a large tray, toddlers engage in baking gingerbread biscuits and pre-school children play with dough. This supports children's understanding of different textures, as well as helping to develop their gross and fine motor skills. Staff encourage all children to engage with books to develop their literacy skills and support their love of reading. Each room presents activities that support children's love of books and encourage them to read. For example, staff read to groups of children, which is followed by group discussions about a book of their choice.

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

• Leaders offer continuous support, encouragement and guidance to the staff team. They have strong practices in place to promote staff's well-being. This includes development and training opportunities within the nursery, as well as opportunities for discussions and reflection. Staff are able to share their views and ideas during team meetings to consider ways to improve their provision.
• Staff work in partnership with other professionals and help children to focus their learning. They also use their knowledge of children to focus on specific areas of development, including communication and language. Staff provide additional targeted support in identified areas to enhance children's development.
• Partnership working with parents and carers is a strength of the nursery. Parents comment on the nursery's inclusive practice and its promotion of diversity. Staff invite them to contribute to an online application that provides opportunities to share relevant information. Parents receive information about what their children are learning about at the nursery, as well as their daily care routines. This supports children's personal development.
• Staff provide children with healthy and nutritious meals. They plan opportunities for children to develop their physical skills. Older children run, jump, climb and play in the sandpit and with the mud kitchen in the outdoor area. Children also ride tricycles and other wheeled toys and engage in mark-making activities.
• Babies are also able to ride rockers and tricycles, as well as do painting.
• Children show good levels of concentration and hand-eye coordination when using scissors to cut paper. They also sit quietly and listen attentively to stories that staff read to them. Staff use their voices in an enthusiastic manner to engage children in the stories. Children demonstrate positive behaviour and attitudes towards their learning.
• Children develop their independence skills well in the nursery. For example, they are able to self-serve their lunch, pour their own drinks and use appropriate cutlery when eating. Staff consider children's development and independence appropriately, according to their capabilities and maturity before transitioning to the next room or on to school. This promotes children's self-awareness, self-confidence and resilience.
• Staff use children's interests to inform their curriculum planning and future activities. This is based on the observations they make throughout the day. Although staff consider children's development stage when delivering activities, in order to support children, staff do not always reflect effectively on the impact of the activities they deliver. For example, staff do not use their observations consistently to assess the impact on children's development. As a consequence, children's individual next steps in learning are not always precise.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• assess the impact of planned activities to plan more precisely for what individual children need to learn next.