Come and Play Day Nursery Ltd

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children arrive happily and excitedly at this nursery and they feel safe and secure. Staff quickly distract some children when they are sad to see their parents leave. Consequently, children quickly engage in play with staff and other children. Staff are warm and have strong bonds with children. They have high expectations of children's behaviour and support them consistently. They remind children of rules and why they are important. As a result, children behave well. For example, when playing with sand in the garden, staff remind children to be careful not to flick sand and explain that sand can go in children's eyes and would really hurt.

The nursery uses a curriculum to ensure that the skills and knowledge children learn progress through their different stages of development. Staff use activities to focus on children's personal, social and emotional development, their independence skills, their communication and language and their physical development. For example, staff noticed a gap in children's social skills and their listening and attention skills coming back to nursery after the COVID-19 lockdown. Consequently, they plan more circle times and activities that encourage children to talk to each other.

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

• Staff support children well in their play, extending their ideas and thinking. For example, children in the baby room play with play dough and staff engage them in back and forth conversations. They introduce mathematical language counting and noticing size and shapes. As a result, children stay focused in their play for extended periods of time.
• Staff support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities particularly well, using signs, visual cues and calming strategies. For example, during a small group activity, one member of staff teaches children signs for each other's names. Children then sing a 'hello' song to each other using the signs to support them.
• Parents are happy with the provision their children get at nursery. They report that the use of an online platform and a closed social media group keeps them updated with how their children are doing in nursery. Parents report that nursery staff and managers have an open door policy and will always find time to talk through any concerns or queries.
• Children show their positive attitudes to learning through their high levels of curiosity and enjoyment. For example, children ask staff to write names of their superheroes on a whiteboard. They delight together in playing with letters, words and figures.
• Children engage deeply in their play both inside and outside. For example, children playing with sand in the garden count with staff and make patterns in the sand, which they discuss.
• At times, due to the organisation of meal times, children miss opportunities to engage in high-quality social interactions with staff and other children.
• The nursery provides information to parents about healthy lunch boxes which states what children are not allowed to bring for lunch. However, staff do not focus their attention with children and parents about which combination of foods makes a healthy lunch.
• The managers have a clear vision for the nursery to make changes for vulnerable children and to empower parents. They take children on regular outings and invite parents to go with them. For example, they go to the park, the library and the local swimming pool. These outings give children experiences they would not otherwise have and give parents confidence to take children on their own.
• The managers have a good understanding of what the nursery does well and what needs to improve. Managers consult with staff about areas of development. They write action plans together to work on and display them in each area. This means that staff are reminded daily of what areas of improvement they are working on.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• embed staff support to children and parents to increase awareness of healthy foods
• review the reorganisation of meal times to strengthen children's quality social interactions.