Collingtree Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

When children arrive, staff warmly welcome them into nursery. Children settle quickly; they are excited to see their friends and to get involved in the activities. Staff are attentive towards all the children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Staff work effectively with their parents and with other agencies to ensure that children's specific needs are met. Staff show interest in what the children are doing and provide positive interactions during activities. Children's confidence and self-esteem are promoted. Staff recognise when children try hard, and they give them lots of praise for their efforts and achievements. The positive relationships between the staff and children help promote children's feelings of well-being and belonging in the nursery.

Staff get to know children well. They plan the curriculum around children's interests and their next steps in learning. Children benefit from staff interactions during play, which extends their learning. For example, staff extend children's vocabulary as they use words such as 'similar' and 'objects' when helping children compare shapes, including squares and rectangles. Staff successfully differentiate during play for children who have different abilities. For example, when children are learning about numbers and counting, staff ask the most able children to think about how many will be left if one item is taken away.

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

• The staff team works well together, and staff comment that they feel supported by the manager. Staff communicate effectively with one another, and this results in the nursery routines running smoothly during the day. Staff are encouraged to develop their skills through training courses and working towards qualifications. This helps to ensure a reflective approach. Staff keep their knowledge up to date, and they remain responsive to children's needs.
• Consistently implemented routines ensure that the children know when it is time to tidy away and when it is time for outside play and group time. Children willingly sit together for group activities. Initially, they are engaged and interested as staff talk to them about the weather and letter sounds or later invite each child to take a turn to choose a song. However, sometimes, these group times do not meet the needs of all the children taking part, and this results in children losing interest and becoming distracted.
• Children are learning to be independent. Staff encourage them to make choices about what they want to do and what they want to have for their lunch. Children are helped to pour their own drinks at mealtimes. staff encourage children to think about whether they want to put their jacket on for outside play, and staff reassure them that if they change their mind they can come back and get their jacket.
• Overall, staff demonstrate effective teaching skills as they interact with children. They help children think about what they are doing and encourage them to follow their own ideas and interests. Children enjoy joining in with the activities that staff are supervising, and staff help children to be curious and motivated to try new experiences. However, occasionally, when staff talk to children and ask questions, they do not fully promote children's confidence to develop their conversational skills.
• Parents are happy with their child's experiences at nursery. They like how staff work in collaboration with them and keep them informed about their child's care routines and their progress. Staff find out from parents about what children do at home and plan a range of activities that broaden children's experiences. For example, staff arrange visits to a local care home, where children are getting to know the elderly residents, who read stories to them.
• Staff help children to quickly learn about the expectations for behaviour at nursery. Staff give clear and consistent guidance to help children understand why they need to share and work together with their friends. Children respond to staff's gentle but clear reminders to be kind and respectful towards others. The pre-school children show care and concern for their younger friends. They help them to find toys they want, and they show them how to use resources in the nursery garden.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• improve the implementation of large-group activities to ensure that they meet each child's needs and maintain their interest
• help staff develop their knowledge further so they consistently promote and encourage children's conversational skills.