Cisco Early Years Nursery and Preschool

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children settle quickly and feel happy in the warm and welcoming environment. They arrive with big smiles on their faces, eager to start their day. Children form close and trusting relationships with staff, who know them very well. This helps them to feel safe and secure. Children are very confident and independent learners. Their behaviour and attitudes to learning are exceptional. Staff are extremely positive role models, and they have high expectations for children's behaviour. Staff consistently implement highly effective behaviour management strategies. This supports children to rapidly expand their self-regulating skills. Children share toys, resources and space extremely well from young age.

Leaders develop the curriculum based on children's interests and what they need to learn next. For instance, when some children show an interest in sea life following a visit to the aquarium, staff extended their learning effectively. They created a aquarium in the nursery for all children to explore and to learn about the creatures who live under water. This approach helps to build on children's cultural capital and widen children's experiences. Furthermore, staff observe and assess children's learning to inform their planning. Consequently, all children make good progress in their learning.

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

• Staff place a strong focus on children's communication and language development in this nursery. They regularly introduce new words to increase children's vocabulary. Children join in with stories, songs and regular discussions. They learn how to converse effectively and to listen when others speak. Children speak about the languages that they hear and use at home. This ensures that all children become confident talkers.
• Children are highly motivated and have great opportunities to develop a love of reading. They enjoy looking at a varied range of books by themselves or with staff. Staff select books that introduce children to important concepts of diversity and inclusion. Children benefit from a book-lending scheme, so that every child has the chance to share their favourite books with their parents at home.
• Children learn about healthy lifestyles. At mealtimes, they talk about the benefits of the food that they are eating. For example, they know that vegetables help their body to grow 'bigger' and 'stronger'. Staff encourage babies to brush the teeth of their favourite toy animals during engaging messy play. This helps young children to become more familiar with this important routine.
• Staff support children's fine-motor skills well. For example, children have plenty of opportunities to strengthen their hand muscles through messy play. They regularly practise using a range of one-handed tools, such as pencils and paintbrushes. This helps them to develop the strength and coordination necessary for writing.
• Staff provide children with some activities to support their gross-motor skills. However, on occasion, they do not consistently include challenging, vigorous and risky play, indoors and outdoors, to support children's physical development even further.
• Staff provide good ways to promote children's knowledge of mathematics, technology and simple science. For example, children are highly competent learners who are capable of using a digital microscope to observe the growing caterpillars on the big screen.
• Children have plenty of opportunities to practise their developing self-care skills. For example, they put their coats on before going outdoors and learn to use utensils during mealtimes. Children happily help with small tasks, such as cleaning up after activities. This helps them to develop a sense of responsibility.
• Staff help children to confidently demonstrate their understanding of why behaviour rules are in place, and recognise the impact that their behaviour has on others. For example, older children explain the importance of taking turns and being kind to one another.
• Leaders evaluate the provision effectively. Staff feel supported by them and speak about ongoing professional development. For example, staff have attended numerous courses, such as an introduction to schemas. This has helped staff to understand better the patterns of repeated behaviour, which allow children to explore and express their thoughts through play. Staff now confidently implement this knowledge into their planning for children's next steps in learning.
• Parents praise the extremely loving and caring staff. They comment on highly effective learning experiences that are offered to their children. Parents say that children are well prepared for their next stages of their learning, including transition on to school, when applicable.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• build on existing opportunities for vigorous, challenging and risky play, to consistently support children's gross-motor skills even further.