Circle of Friends Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children arrive happy and excited to enter the nursery. They are able to explore and access a bright and inviting space, where they can select what they would like to do. Staff provide interesting activities to spark the children's enjoyment in learning. Older children access a discovery area that is filled with natural resources to support their knowledge and understanding of the world around them. While exploring in the discovery area, children find wiggly worms. They use a measuring tape to compare the sizes of the worms. Children excitedly shout, 'Mine is 20', as they measure the worms.

Children's literacy skills are supported well. Children select books and enjoy sharing these with each other. During outdoor play, staff tell children familiar stories and support them in using their imagination to act out what they hear. During the story, children show great excitement when faced with the 'swishy grass' and 'thick squelchy mud' while going on a bear hunt. Staff support the children to recall sections of the story, to help them develop their awareness of how stories are structured.

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

• Children have established warm and trusting relationships with staff. They seek them out for comfort and to share their experiences.
• Children are prepared for school and the wider world. They are supported to carry out tasks independently, such as putting on their coats and pouring water from jugs during mealtimes.
• Children enjoy being in each other's company. They have fun taking turns as they push the dolls in the toy pushchairs. However, there are moments when children are not always engaged. Staff do not always act quickly enough to support children's individual needs, which means children sometimes become distracted and unsettled.
• Children have access to a wide range of mark-making materials that allow them to develop early writing skills, including play dough. Children are provided with a variety of tools to use with the play dough, to build on their fine motor control.
• Parent partnership is strong. Parents comment on how they are kept up to date with their children's development through face-to-face discussions and the use of an online system.
• Staff support children's language development by introducing them to new words that expand their vocabulary. However, children are not always given the time to respond to questions asked, to fully support their communication skills.
• Staff have high expectations of children's behaviour. Children are supported to resolve conflicts and demonstrate respect for one another. Children's behaviour is good.
• Staff support children's transitions to school. They work with local primary school teachers to discuss children's development and plan smooth transitions from nursery on to school.
• Staff ensure that children develop healthy habits through outdoor exercise. Children play the 'traffic light game', where they run on green, walk on amber and stop on red. After running, children are requested to feel their hearts. This helps them to begin to gain an awareness of how fast their heart beats after running. Staff explain that this is important to ensure oxygen is being pumped around the body.
• Leaders and managers hold regular supervisions that allow them to identify areas for professional development. They support staff to access training that will give them an understanding of how to meet the development needs of the children in their care.
• Leaders and managers ensure that there is a broad and balanced curriculum. Children are regularly assessed to ensure they are meeting developmental milestones and that any gaps in learning are addressed. Steps are put in place to close any gaps in learning. Staff work closely with other agencies to ensure the needs of all children are met, particularly children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support staff to recognise how to meet the needs of all children consistently, to maintain their engagement in activities
• give children more time to respond to questions, to further support their communication and language skills.