Chipmunks Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are happy and confident. They settle quickly and form good relationships with their key person. Staff have a good knowledge of each child's interests and stage of development. Staff use this knowledge to provide motivating learning experiences for all children, including those with additional needs. The environment is carefully planned and resourced. This supports children's learning in all areas of the curriculum. For example, older children enjoy playing and learning on the outside terrace. Younger children show excitement in the sensory activities in the messy room. They run into the room, smiling, and immediately explore the activities.

Children make good progress with their language and communication. Staff name the resources children play with and use a range of vocabulary. Children then confidently repeat these new words. For example, pre-school children tell each other, 'I've got some castanets.'

Children show high levels of involvement in their play and learning. This helps them develop their skills, knowledge and concentration. For example, children are keen to hammer golf tees into oasis blocks. Staff encourage them to persevere when the task becomes difficult. They tell adults, 'I did it' and 'I did it again.'

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

• Staff provide a balanced curriculum based on children's interests and developmental stages. The curriculum is sequenced and builds on what children know, and children are well prepared for the next stage of their learning.
• Staff give children lots of reassurance and praise. This helps children feel a sense of pride in their achievements. For example, at the end of a song-time activity, babies look at the staff and clap, with big smiles on their faces.
• Children's language skills are progressing well. Staff in all rooms enhance children's vocabulary. For example, staff in the baby room use props and make animal noises during song time to reinforce key words. Babies watch, listen and repeat back these animal noises.
• Children confidently use mathematical concepts and vocabulary in their play. Staff support younger children to count as they build towers. Older children use words such as 'heavier', 'bigger' and 'more' while making Halloween potions.
• Parents speak positively about the support and communication they receive from staff. They comment on the nursery having a family feel.
• Children enjoy the outdoor activities staff provide for them. However, staff do not always plan activities for children to be physically active, to enhance their gross motor skills and help them understand the importance of developing healthy bodies.
• Staff have high expectations of children's behaviour. They set clear routines and boundaries and reinforce these consistently. This means children behave well and listen attentively to instructions, stories and rhymes.
• A range of technological toys are available for older children to play with. Staff do not make the most of opportunities to actively engage children in play with these toys in order to develop their learning in this area of the curriculum.
• Staff encourage children to embrace their uniqueness. For example, toddlers use mirrors to paint self-portraits. Staff display these paintings to promote and value cultural diversity.
• Daily routines encourage children to be independent and enable them to be social and interact with each other. For example, low tables are set out for babies to eat together. They smile and babble to each other while waiting for their food.
• Healthy eating is encouraged and promoted throughout the nursery. Staff use role-play toys to teach children about dental hygiene. Older children help the cook prepare their lunch, and they often grow their own food in the garden.
• Staff encourage children to wash their hands and teach them how to manage their own safety. For example, staff remind children to walk rather than run in busy spaces. However, opportunities are sometimes missed to encourage children to independently manage their personal needs. For example, when supporting them to wipe their noses themselves.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• take opportunities to actively promote the use of technology to enhance children's learning in this area
• use outside opportunities to enhance the development of children's gross motor skills
• encourage older children to be independent in managing their personal needs.