College Nursery School & Services

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

This nursery provides an exceptional education for children. Leaders are passionate about the adventurous curriculum they have developed. It is tailored to meet the needs and interests of each individual child, including children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Children make excellent progress across the curriculum and are superbly well prepared for their next stage of learning.

Leaders and staff have developed an inspiring learning environment, both inside and outside. Children show high levels of engagement and curiosity as they make choices about their play. For example, children enjoy rolling colourful balls down pipes and experimenting with how many they can roll at the same time. Other children squeal with delight as they engage in a game of 'hide-and-seek' in the outdoor area.

Behaviour is excellent. Staff familiarise children quickly with the routines and expectations of the setting. For example, children know to find their photo before they sit down for lunch. The use of visual 'charters' help children to be successful as they learn new skills and routines. Key workers offer constant reassurance, praise and support to those who need it. Children feel secure and understand what is expected of them, even those who are very new to the setting.

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

• Leaders are experts in early education. They have developed a curriculum that is rooted in research and knowledge. It is highly ambitious for every child and carefully sequenced to ensure that children are continually building on their prior learning. Staff understand the importance of repetition and recall. For example, weekly learning videos are sent home for children to share and discuss recent learning with parents.
• Key workers prioritise getting to know each individual child and their families. They tailor the curriculum to their unique needs and interests and give children ownership of their learning. They provide regular feedback to parents. For example, a termly video of each child's 'learning story' is sent home, in which, the key worker narrates their progress, interests and next steps. As such, the key-worker system is highly effective.
• Leaders prioritise the emotional well-being of children. All staff are trained in 'Emotion Coaching', supporting children to self-regulate their emotions and behaviour. The use of inclusive 'persona dolls' further supports this, helping young children to explore difficult questions and challenge stereotypes in an age-appropriate way. This helps all children to feel represented and included.
• Staff are clear about the learning intentions behind every activity. For example, during a 'TastEd' food education activity, staff explain that children are building their gross motor skills as they juice oranges, and their fine motor skills as they peel satsumas, while also building a positive relationship with food. This programme of activities has had an impact at lunchtime, as children are served a variety of balanced and nutritious meals, and show a willingness to try new things.
• Staff are strong models of spoken English. They skilfully narrate, question and model language as they play with children. Leaders carefully select songs and rhymes to support early phonics, and enthusiastic singing can be heard throughout the day. Leaders also choose high-quality core texts to expose children to a variety of text types and themes. Children become confident communicators over time and are exceptionally well prepared for their next stage of learning.
• Leaders have nurtured a highly qualified and experienced staff team. This is evident through exceptionally warm and skilful interactions between staff and children. Staff access high-quality training and are empowered to take on areas of responsibility. For example, one member of staff with an interest in healthy eating is leading the setting towards an award in this area.
• The special educational needs coordinator (SENCo) is highly knowledgeable and works exceptionally well with other professionals, and parents, to provide the very best support for children with SEND. Training is sought, and adaptations swiftly made, to ensure that all children have the same access to the curriculum. Consequently, children with SEND make superb progress from their individual starting points.
• Staff understand the importance of working in partnership with parents. Leaders seek feedback through parent panels and offer regular workshops to foster a shared approach to learning and development. They have also introduced 'happiness journals' to support age-appropriate home learning; an initiative that other settings in the local area are now adopting.
• Parents speak incredibly highly of this setting, describing it as 'extraordinary'. They share that staff go 'above and beyond' to ensure that the settling-in process is a success for each child. They comment that communication is superb and that they trust staff implicitly with their children.
• Leaders are highly reflective, striving for constant improvement, and taking pride in 'daring to be different'. They seek out exciting projects to be involved in, often challenging organisers to include them as ambassadors for the sector. For example, they are currently participating in a project to support children's early numeracy development.