Cliffe House Day Nursery Ltd

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Staff provide a warm, nurturing environment for children and families. They know children very well and gather detailed information before they start and before they move up through the rooms in the nursery. This helps them to maintain up-to-date knowledge of children and enables staff to meet their care and learning needs effectively. Children, including those who are new to the nursery, show they feel safe and secure with staff. They benefit from a close relationship with a key person of their choosing. Staff promote children's positive behaviour and emotional well-being. They regularly offer praise to children and encourage them to join in with new experiences and develop new skills.

Staff have high expectations for all children who attend. They provide an exciting curriculum which meets the individual needs of children. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, the management team has worked hard to focus on closing potential gaps in children's learning and support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Staff have received training in supporting interactions and promoting children's communication skills. This has had a positive impact on children's progress. Older children are well prepared to start school. They develop good levels of concentration and are keen, enthusiastic learners.

Staff work in partnership with parents and teachers to promote continuity of care and learning. Staff maintain good levels of communication with families and help them to feel included in their children's learning. Parents are keen to leave feedback for the nursery and are very happy with the levels of support they receive from staff. They say staff are professional, knowledgeable and extremely caring.

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

• The management team has a clear vision for their curriculum and what they would like children to learn. They have recently supported staff to implement more focused planning to help them concentrate on children's individual next steps. Children benefit from activities which help them build on their existing knowledge and staff extend their learning as they play and explore.
• The curriculum for children's developing personal, social and emotional skills is a strength in the nursery. Staff are very good role models for children. They have clear expectations for behaviour and consistently model good manners. Children's behaviour is very good. They are kind to each other and take turns without any support. Older children help each other to draw different shapes and reassure their friends with a kind pat on the back.
• Children thoroughly enjoy a range of activities inside and outside. They are keen to join in and show excitement in their learning. For example, toddlers gather around the water tray to experiment with tipping, pouring, floating and sinking. Staff enhance this by adding scented teabags to encourage children to identify different smells and link prior learning. However, on occasion, the group size becomes too large, and this has an impact on children's level of engagement.
• The provision for children with SEND is very good. The provider has a dedicated member of staff who leads the nursery provision to promote inclusion and support children. She has a detailed knowledge of every child in the nursery and works with staff to support them. Extra funding is used effectively to benefit children, such as one-to-one provision for children who need support. Staff are skilled at identifying areas of potential delay and make swift referrals to other professionals. This helps to prepare children to move on to school and be supported effectively.
• Staff promote children's good health and independence. Children enjoy healthy meals and snacks throughout the day and staff ensure they have access to water. Young children begin to take an active part in their self-care as they start to use the toilet and older children show interest in the resources which promote good oral hygiene. However, during busy times, toilet facilities do not promote children's privacy or their understanding of body safety.
• Babies show they feel happy and settled. Staff support them to develop language skills and confidence. They play imaginatively with shaped blocks and 'call home'. Staff model pretend conversations and babies begin to copy single words. Staff focus on supporting babies' physical development. For instance, they prepare the environment purposefully to help them pull themselves up and walk around the furniture.
• The management team regularly evaluates the provision with staff and gathers feedback from assessment information. They use this to enhance the setting and improve staff practice. Currently, staff are focusing on enhancing mathematics in each room. They regularly model mathematical language to children and support them to consider new concepts. For instance, older children discuss birthdays and staff use the opportunity to count candles.
• The leadership team is strong. Staff discuss how they are well supported in the nursery and say they thoroughly enjoy their work. Managers have high expectations of staff. They provide coaching and training to help them progress into new roles. Apprentices are supported effectively to develop their skills to work with children and have a mentor in the nursery.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• consider the impact of the size of the group during planned activities, to ensure children can participate and engage deeply in their learning
• reflect on and implement ways for older children to use the toilet independently, to further promote and respect their privacy.