Cinder Ash

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Staff have created a nursery that is unique in that children of all ages, from babies to pre-school, all play together harmoniously. This creates a family-like atmosphere where children feel safe and learn from staff and one another. Staff add to the harmony with their attentive and caring nature towards the children. This contributes to children feeling emotionally secure. The nursery is very inclusive and children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) make good progress in the staff's nurturing care. Children persevere at activities. In the garden, staff ask children to dig for potatoes that they planted previously. Children are in awe of the amount of potatoes they unearth and, with gentle reminders from staff, they share the tools for digging.

Staff plan activities that capture children's interest and engage them in gainful learning. For example, staff recognise children's interest in popular television characters and provide them with resources relating to these. Children use their imagination to make up stories about the familiar characters. Children show an early love of books. They often look at books independently or bring books to visitors to read to them. Staff nurture this love of stories and create a 'bear hunt' outdoors and children eagerly suggest where the bear can hide. This helps children to remember favourite books.

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

• The two nursery managers work extremely well together. They are passionate about early years education and providing high-quality care and education for children. The managers pride themselves on the relationships they build with families. Parents reflect this in their feedback comments. They cannot speak highly enough of the nursery and staff and say they would give a score of '50 million out of ten' if they could.
• The managers provide staff with regular supervision meetings to discuss their professional development and personal well-being. Staff have access to training to extend their knowledge to support children's learning. Staff say the managers support their mental health and well-being well.
• The managers make good use of additional funding for vulnerable children. They assess where these children may need extra support or what their interests are. For example, the managers purchase resources, such as puppets, to help children to learn about emotions and how to regulate their feelings.
• Staff give children daily fresh air and exercise contributing to a healthy lifestyle. They provide children with the space and time to develop their balance, coordination and strength independently. For example, children explore the garden freely or take part in adult-guided obstacle courses. Children independently navigate the slide. Alternatively, they practise their balancing skills on the balance beam, with staff close by to offer a helping hand.
• Overall, staff provide children with good opportunities to develop their communication and language skills. For example, children thoroughly enjoy creating a 'dino-scape'. They look at books to find out facts about dinosaurs. Staff build on children's interests and talk about the tree they have grown, introducing facts and words, such as 'pollination and germination'. However, at times, in their enthusiasm, some staff offer lots of new words and facts, but do not always follow these up and check children's understanding.
• Staff are knowledgeable about their key children's home lives, which helps them to work effectively with parents and to plan for children's learning. Staff confidently discuss the progress children make with parents, so they have a good understanding about children's development and what they need to learn next. This is particularly evident for those children with SEND or additional support plans.
• Group times are beneficial for supporting children to develop listening and attention skills. Staff leading the group times are engaging and capture children's attention. This encourages children to listen and pay attention. Children have opportunities to feel unique and share their experiences from home when they talk about their weekend.
• Children form close friendships and regularly include others in their play. Staff are positive role models for children. When children have very minor disagreements, staff patiently help them learn how to recognise and regulate their feelings and emotions.
• Staff provide children with good opportunities to learn about their wider community. For example, they enjoy walks into the local town. Children visit a nearby care home for the elderly and engage in activities alongside the residents, such as singing songs.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• give children opportunities to demonstrate they understand new words and information that is introduced to them.