Children's Place Spring Cottage

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are happy and confident learners at this warm and welcoming nursery. Caring and nurturing staff form positive relationships with children and their families. Children feel safe and secure. Staff plan activities to challenge children's learning and development. For example, they plan activities for children to develop their physical skills. Staff teach children how to hold scissors correctly. Children learn how to use scissors to cut a variety of resources. Staff support children to build an obstacle course. They ask questions to encourage children to think of solutions. For example, staff ask, 'How can we connect the two tyres?' Children work together as they balance the wooden plank between the two tyres. They move along the wooden planks in a variety of ways. Children show determination and resilience as they balance their bodies. They jump off at the end and shout, 'I did it.' They run back to have another go.

Children learn new words and develop good communication skills. Staff model and repeat key words to babies. For example, they say 'shake, shake' as they shake the bells and 'wash hands' as they help to wash their hands. Staff introduce new words with older children. They explain children need to drink their water so that they are 'hydrated'. Staff engage in back-and-forth conversations with children. Children are confident to speak to staff and their friends. All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), make good progress.

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

• Staff plan opportunities for children to develop their independence skills. Babies learn to feed themselves. Toddlers learn to serve themselves food. Older children learn to pour their own drinks and clear their plates. Children independently access the aprons when playing in the water. They take them off and hang them back up when they are finished. Children learn to wash their hands before eating. Children become independent learners.
• Children enjoy a range of stories, songs and rhymes. Staff sing with babies during the routines of the day. Toddlers excitedly join in with songs and rhymes as they sing songs at different speeds. Older children access books independently and read to themselves. Parents comment their children enjoy borrowing books from the nursery lending library to share at home. Children's communication skills are supported well.
• Children develop good personal and social skills. Staff are positive role models. They encourage children to listen to each other. Staff engage children in back- and-forth conversations. They encourage children to talk about their likes and dislikes. Staff help children to resolve conflict. They support children's behaviour in a calm and caring manner. Staff model the language needed to help children understand their emotions. Children learn to be kind to each other and share their resources.
• Support for children with SEND is good. Staff identify individual needs and support is quickly put in place. They refer to other agencies when appropriate. Staff implement strategies immediately to support children's learning. Leaders and managers carefully consider how additional funding is used to meet the needs of individual children. They evaluate the impact of the funding before planning next steps. All children make good progress.
• Some routines of the nursery do not always ensure the needs of all children are consistently met. For example, some children cannot engage with a story as the room is busy and noisy as staff prepare the room for lunchtime. Sometimes, babies become unsettled at lunchtime as they wait for their food. This is because staff sometimes prioritise other routine tasks, such as preparing the beds for sleep time, rather than being with the children.
• Leaders and managers identify the importance of transitions. Visits are planned when children move to the next room. Staff discuss children's needs and level of development with their new key person. Leaders and managers work closely with schools and speak to teachers to find out what skills children need. They then build this into their curriculum. Parents comment their children are ready for school and settle quickly into school life.
• Parents speak highly of the staff and the care their children receive. All staff develop trusting relationships with families. Parents comment on the friendships children have made at the nursery and on the good progress they have made since starting. Leaders and managers plan parent meetings, use an online app and speak with parents daily. Parents are well informed about their child's day and what they are learning.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• ensure the routines of the day allow staff to meet all children's needs, particularly during the lunchtime period.