Clarence House Wellingborough Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are happy and quickly settle. They are greeted by friendly staff who have suitably high expectations for children's learning. Staff ensure that meeting individual children's needs is at the heart of this warm and welcoming nursery. They work extremely well as a team and are quick to share relevant information from parent handovers with each other. Children feel safe here. They have strong relationships with staff and are quick to share smiles and cuddles.

Children enjoy learning both indoors and outdoors. All children, including the very youngest, are learning to communicate well. Staff chatter with children, sing songs and tell stories to encourage them to talk. Children's vocabulary is developed through a variety of activities. For example, when children clamber into a car outside and shout 'beep, beep', staff respond and ask where they are going. Staff skilfully use spontaneous activities to support children to extend their mathematical knowledge and develop social skills. For example, nursery children learn about mathematics as they explore outside and negotiate balance beams. They count and name colours as they sort cars and post them down the garage slide. Children learn to be kind to their friends and share toys with each other.

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

• Staff encourage all children, including babies, to develop physical skills both indoors and outdoors. Outdoors, babies and toddlers stand together at the water tray and blow bubbles. There is room to run around and climb, along with places to dig and explore. Indoors, babies are supported to explore their environment. Staff encourage them to stand and move around the room independently.
• Children behave well. This is because staff have clear expectations of appropriate behaviour. Staff support daily routines which even the youngest children are beginning to understand. For example, toddlers are supported to wash their hands and put their bib on, so they are ready for lunch. During lunch, staff encourage all children to use spoons, toddlers are supported to use forks, and all children drink water from their own cups. After lunch, all of the babies and some of the toddlers have a rest. Staff respond well to all children individually; they work to understand the needs of very young children. For example, when a baby becomes upset, staff interpret their cries and offer them a comforting cuddle. When this does not soothe, they offer them warm milk. Staff put the needs of the children first.
• Children settle quickly and this means they are ready to learn. Staff support all children to understand and manage their own feelings. For instance, when two toddlers struggle to share a watering can, staff ably support them and offer them other resources. Staff encourage children to think about each other and talk to them about sharing and taking turns. Very young children are starting to develop respect and building relationships with their peers.
• The leadership team supports all staff to engage with training, including apprenticeships, in-house training and degree-level development. Staff comment that they feel highly valued and supported in their work with children.
• Staff ably assess what children can do and use their assessments to support children's next stage of learning, whether that be moving between nursery rooms or preparing to move on to pre-school. Staff plan effectively for all children, including the very youngest. However, sometimes, they do not use opportunities to extend or build on children's skills and knowledge to ensure that they make sustained progress.
• Staff plan an ambitious curriculum which is exciting for children and encourages them to explore. For instance, children enjoy handling soft grain in a tray on the floor. They scoop and pour, filling and emptying containers. Staff encourage children to talk as they play. Children are supported by staff to count and name colours. Staff recognise that not all children have outdoor play spaces at home, so they plan for children to spend time outside every day. Children are encouraged and helped to climb and balance on a range of equipment.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• develop staff's understanding of how to extend children's learning so they make the best possible progress.