Christ Church Pre School Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Staff greet children and parents at the main gate and receive any relevant information from parents to help them to care for the children effectively. Older children confidently wave goodbye to their parents or carers, place their belongings on their pegs and find their friends to begin their day of fun and learning. Younger children's parents take them to the door of their playroom, where they are greeted and welcomed into the exciting nursery environment. Those children needing a bit of extra support are encouraged and comforted by staff, who chat to them about their journey to nursery and what they did the evening before.

Children are confident, and they know the nursery routines really well. Staff enable children to 'have a voice' within the nursery. For example, children use the book of equipment that staff have devised, to help choose which resources they want out the following week. This helps them to guide their own play and learning and to develop a strong sense of belonging. Children are polite towards each other. They share resources well and are supported by staff to understand how to resolve minor conflicts or problems. Staff have high expectations of the children's behaviour and remind them of the importance of being kind and caring. They plan an interesting curriculum that is based on children's individual learning and interests. As a result, children are engaged and busy throughout their nursery day.

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

• There have been changes and improvements to the management structure within the nursery since the last inspection. The new manager is now supported by a deputy manager and two room leaders, who meet regularly to review all aspects of the provision. They consider improved ways of organising the nursery to ensure that children receive good-quality teaching and learning. All staff understand their roles and responsibilities and work well within their specific team.
• The high adult-to-child ratio ensures that all children, including those who require additional help, are well supported to enjoy their nursery experiences. Staff deployment is effective and, as a result, all children receive good-quality support and interactions. Many staff have worked at the nursery for a number of years, creating a strong and stable staff team.
• Parents speak very highly of the staff and the managers. They comment that their children love attending the nursery and cannot wait to get there. Parents of children who require additional support state that staff are very knowledgeable about their children and assist them with seeking appropriate professional support, to help close gaps in their children's development.
• Staff enhance children's speech and communication skills from a very early age through stories, discussions, games and singing. They join in with joyful pretend play, holding telephone conversations with the children about their work and where they are going. The children thoroughly enjoy these interactions and become fully engaged. On occasions, however, some staff do not use effective strategies to encourage children to think for themselves. Others ask too many questions to the children and do not give them time to consider or consolidate their answers.
• Children are provided with good opportunities to experience learning outside of the nursery environment. They go for walks in the local area, visit shops, travel on a train to the next town and go to the post office to post letters. Visitors to the nursery, such as a dentist and a dental nurse, enable children to understand about people who help us.
• Activities and resources indoors are very good and span all areas of learning. There is, however, less emphasis placed on providing a varied and exciting curriculum for children who learn better outdoors. The space available is limited, meaning that staff often focus on children's physical play, rather than ensuring that opportunities for other areas of learning are presented. Managers are considering ways of developing the outdoor area, to enable them to offer a wider curriculum.
• Staff know the children well. They are knowledgeable about their interests, home lives and siblings. All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), are well supported to make good progress.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• improve the curriculum to ensure that children who learn better outdoors are provided with resources, activities and experiences that span all areas of learning
• support staff to provide children with more opportunities and time to consider and consolidate their thoughts.