Claverham Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are confident, happy and secure in their play at the setting. They develop close friendships with their peers, sharing experiences and playing together. Children make close bonds with staff, even those who are new to the setting. They gain reassurance through cuddles, eye contact and comfort to develop confidence to try new experiences.

Children are eager to learn. They question, show intrigue and curiosity in what others are doing. Children think critically, asking how things work and why. For example, they question why some cars fit down the tube and others get stuck, explaining this to others.

Children thoroughly enjoy sensory experiences throughout the nursery. They experiment with flour, salt and water, making their own dough through trial and error. Children express themselves confidently, telling staff what it feels like and what changes have occurred. Younger children explore with flour and glitter, showing expressions of awe and wonder as the flour falls on the floor, using their feet to complete the experience by making footprints in the flour.

Children show a clear understanding of storytelling. They effectively use pictures to tell the story to others. Children use expressions to communicate the emotion in the story, using smiles, cheers, astonishment and sadness. They take care of books, turning pages carefully and placing them back in the racks after their use. This helps children to develop a love of books.

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

• Children learn to be independent. They show an increasing understanding about good hygiene practices and what keeps them healthy. Children talk about the fruits that they eat at snack time, the foods they like at lunchtime and when they are thirsty and hungry. Staff recognise those who cannot verbalise their hunger and quickly meet their needs. They provide them with food to help them settle and encourage them to eat their lunch independently. Children thoroughly enjoy exploring the outdoor space. They experiment with a wide range of natural materials. For instance, children thoroughly enjoy jumping in puddles, exploring leaves and mud in the mud kitchen and using diggers in the sand.
• Staff are eager to continue their professional development. They have a positive attitude towards training and gaining new ideas. Staff understand the importance of meeting children's individual needs. However, they sometimes rely on written observations rather their trusting their knowledge of how each child learns best. This impacts on the quality time staff spend engaging with children during their play.
• Children's communication and language is promoted well. Staff use open-ended questions to help children to listen, understand and respond in a timely fashion. Babies are encouraged to babble. Staff encourage this through repetitive words, songs and rhymes. Older children develop more complex speech by staff modelling extended vocabulary and encouragement to verbally share their experiences. All children benefit from the use of Makaton to increase their awareness of different forms of communication and the confidence to express their needs.
• Parents make positive comments about the setting. They receive and share information about children's learning and feel supported in how to promote children's learning at home. Parents feel reassured that children develop the skills necessary to move on to their next place of learning.
• Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) receive positive and reassuring support to help close an gaps in their development. Every achievement, however small, is celebrated and shared amongst the staff. Staff work closely with other professionals to promote a consistent approach to children's ongoing learning journey.
• Staff know children well and are aware of the need to challenge and extend their learning. However, they sometimes miss opportunities for children to experience the next place for their learning, to provide them with further challenges. For example, they wait for management to tell them that there is space in the next room for children to go and play, rather than using their initiative to support children's chances of experiencing challenging play.
• Children show care and compassion towards their peers. They help their friends up when they have fallen over and give them cuddles if they have hurt themselves. They develop cooperation and negotiation skills throughout their play. Staff act as positive role models, working well together to demonstrate good manners and team work.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• develop staff confidence in their abilities and their knowledge of the children in their care to further support their next steps in their learning
• provide ongoing opportunities for children to experience the next place for their learning and to extend and challenge their development.