Child's Play Day Nursery Penistone

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are very happy and achieve well in this welcoming and homely environment in the care of dedicated staff. They are settled and extremely confident. Children show kindness to each other. For example, they share resources and pass food to each other as they serve themselves at lunchtime. Children behave exceptionally well and use good manners with staff and their peers. Staff have clear expectations and remind children of the rules and boundaries and why they are in place. Staff are excellent role models. The highly experienced staff team ensures that it embeds an ambitious curriculum throughout the setting. Staff closely monitor children's development against their plans for the curriculum. They ensure that children develop their independence. For example, staff encourage children to put on their own shoes and coats, drink from open-top cups, and choose and cut up their own fruit at snack time.

Staff plan an inviting and stimulating environment that supports children to be fully engaged in meaningful play throughout the day. For example, children make potions using a variety of different ingredients, including fresh flowers and herbs. Staff plan this activity to extend children's language and communication by introducing new vocabulary and encouraging discussions. They encourage children to add their own resources as children ask for scissors to cut up the petals. Staff skilfully question children's actions to find out what they know and understand. For example, while cutting flowers, children ask questions about bees. Other children confidently explain that the bees collect pollen to make honey. As a result, children make excellent progress in their learning and development.

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

• The provider has high expectations and works tirelessly to ensure that children have the very best experiences. For example, staff arrange for a farmer to bring baby lambs into the setting. Children observe chicks and ducklings hatch in incubators at the setting and receive photos of them once they return to the farm. Staff teach children about road safety and take them on local trips on the bus to the library, shops and post office. These experiences give children wonderful opportunities to further understand the world around them and increase their vocabulary.
• Partnerships with parents are excellent. The provider uses an online app to keep parents updated and provides detailed handovers, termly reports and parents' evenings. Staff encourage parents to be 'champions' to encourage parents to have a voice during consultations about any changes to the provision. Staff regularly invite parents into the nursery to join their children on trips and take part in activities. Parents speak very highly about the setting and feel supported throughout their child's time at nursery.
• Leaders are extremely knowledgeable and passionate. They ensure that staff's and children's well-being is at the forefront of everything they do. Leaders ensure that a rigorous supervision programme is in place for staff. They provide staff with high levels of training to make sure they continue to provide the highest quality of education for all children. New staff members have a comprehensive induction programme. Leaders have written their own training for staff working in the baby room, which links to their curriculum goals. They ensure that all staff in the baby room complete this to support babies to meet their developmental milestones.
• Staff significantly enhance children's health and oral hygiene. They talk to children about healthy food at mealtimes as they self-serve their nutritious home-cooked meals. Older children talk about the importance of brushing their teeth and visiting the dentist to prevent cavities. Staff working with babies sing a song to encourage them to join in with the action of brushing their teeth.
• There is a strong emphasis on supporting children's communication and language. Staff provide a language-rich environment by using every opportunity to interact, converse and encourage turn-taking. They ask children for their opinions and give them time to answer questions. Staff expertly introduce new words and repeat them back to children to embed their knowledge.
• Staff promote children's love of reading. Children look at books independently, with their friends or with staff. Staff have core books, which they share as a group and then extend children's learning and bring the book to life. For example, after reading 'The Gruffalo', staff take children on a walk to collect blackberries, and children help to bake blackberry crumble to represent the crumble in the story. Through this activity, staff expertly extend children's learning, for example, by introducing mathematical language and weighing and measuring.
• Staff introduce children to diversity through books, discussions and teaching them about different festivals. They also work with parents to introduce familiar songs in children's first languages into the setting.
• Staff are extremely knowledgeable about how to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). They have excellent partnerships with other professionals. Staff provide children with early interventions and make sure that they support all their needs throughout their time at the nursery and at times of transition.