Child's Play Neighbourhood Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children thrive at this warm and welcoming nursery. They feel safe and build secure and trusting bonds with the approachable and attentive staff. The joy children feel is evident. For example, younger children greet staff with enthusiastic waves, while older children actively seek them out to include them in their play.

Leaders place children and their families at the heart of the community. They advocate strongly for the most vulnerable children. This caring approach creates a culture of kindness among children. Children show high levels of respect for each other and are often seen sharing toys and books. When children become upset, staff respond gently and reassuringly. They offer comfort and use visual aids to help children to understand and manage their emotions.

This nurturing foundation allows an ambitious curriculum to flourish. Leaders, who are excellent role models, have thoughtfully designed learning opportunities that cover all areas of development, indoors and outdoors. Staff are highly skilled in using 'in-the-moment' planning to turn children's natural interests into rich learning experiences. For instance, when children show great enthusiasm for a spider, staff follow their interests and plan an engaging and nursery-wide project on minibeasts to extend children's curiosity and knowledge.

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

• Staff support children through a flexible settling-in process that is tailored to each child. They collect information about children from parents and carers and offer stay-and-play sessions to ensure a smooth transition. Once settled, children benefit from familiar daily routines. However, the organisation of mealtime routines does not consistently meet all children's needs. The current lengthy wait between courses causes some children, especially older children, to become restless. This disrupts children's behaviour and limits the opportunity for them to learn important social skills during a shared meal.
• Leaders create a highly inclusive environment where children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) make excellent progress. Staff use observations and ongoing assessments to swiftly identify any gaps in children's development. This ensures that any potential barriers to children's learning are quickly addressed.
• Staff support children's physical development through a well-sequenced range of activities. For example, they encourage babies to take their first steps with push-along toys. Older children develop strength and coordination, such as through yoga stretches, digging in the soil and lifting heavy water jugs. There is a clear progression in fine motor skills, which develops from babies making their first marks with chunky paintbrushes to older children using pencils to form numbers.
• Partnership with parents is strong. Staff and parents work closely together. They share information about children's next steps in learning, daily routines and updates about their development through an app and regular conversations. Leaders offer exceptional support for families' well-being, including access to a food bank when needed. As a result, parents feel confident that their children are happy and well cared for, often describing staff as 'nurturing and caring'.
• Staff consistently promote children's communication and language. Children listen with enthusiasm to stories, such as 'The Very Hungry Caterpillar'. The youngest children learn to name objects, such as 'apple' and 'pear', and enjoy singing nursery rhymes together. Staff use open-ended questions, giving children plenty of time to think, respond and share their ideas.
• Staff support children to develop healthy lifestyles through access to fresh water, fruit and home-made meals. Staff work with parents to promote healthy choices for those children who bring packed lunches. They plan hands-on activities, such as growing and washing raspberries, to help children to understand where food comes from. Staff encourage children's independence through self-care routines, such as handwashing and finding their own water bottles.
• Leaders have created a positive and supportive staff team with a strong focus on professional development. Staff continuously enhance their practice, such as through coaching, regular supervision sessions and visits to other settings. Staff report that they feel valued and well supported. This contributes to a dedicated and committed team.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• engage older children more consistently in their learning during mealtimes, such as by improving the organisation to minimise long waiting times.