Comfort Angelz Daycare

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are greeted warmly by friendly staff, who meet them at the door. Staff settle them quickly with cuddles and activities they enjoy in the well-planned environment. Children develop secure attachments with the caring staff and feel comfortable and confident to contribute to group discussions. Staff are positive role models. They sensitively reinforce behaviour expectations. Children behave very well, and staff praise children's achievements and efforts. This helps to develop children's confidence and resilience.

Staff plan an ambitious curriculum that is carefully sequenced and tailored to meet the ages and stages of all the children, including children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Staff offer a wide range of learning opportunities to meet the needs and interests of the children. They allow children to take the lead in their learning and introduce concepts to the children while they play. For example, after reading the book 'The Colour Monster', staff engage children in various activities that help them recall and name of colours of the hoops and balls they are playing with outdoors. Staff introduce mathematical vocabulary such as 'more', 'less', 'far' and 'near', as children practice throwing balls into tyres. Children are motivated and concentrate for long periods.

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

• Staff plan a curriculum that includes meaningful experiences across all seven areas of learning. They build on what children already know and can do. Staff know the children well and can discuss their progress and next steps. Support for children with SEND is strong. Staff have implemented a range of strategies to support these children's learning, such as language games to help children to communicate. All children make progress in their learning and development.
• Staff teach children well about the world they live in. Children relish taking part in activities for a charity set up by the provider to help families aboard who are less fortunate than they are. They develop a good awareness of who they are and where they come from. Children are well prepared for life in modern Britain.
• Children show positive attitudes towards their learning and behave well. Staff use the story 'The Colour Monster' to help children learn more about their feelings. They demonstrate empathy, telling staff they are 'feeling blue' like the colour monster because they are sad.
• Overall, staff teach children about the importance of leading a healthy lifestyle. Children enjoy playing outside each day to develop their physical skills. For instance, children ride bikes and carefully weave in and out of tyres and chalk lines drawn on the ground. They have weekly opportunities to cook and learn about the textures and tastes of different foods, and they enjoy stirring, mixing, and cutting up the food independently. However, staff do not use mealtimes to further discuss the importance and benefits of healthy eating.
• Children are good communicators. Staff use a wide range of vocabulary and children quickly learn new words. For example, during a planting activity, staff listen to children's personal experiences and ask questions about the minibeasts they find while digging in soil. They have meaningful discussions while watering the flowers. Staff ask questions and repeat what children say with the correct pronunciation. However, on occasion, staff do not give children sufficient time to think and answer the questions they ask. This does not support them to develop their thinking and communication skills even further.
• Partnership with parents is good. Parents have a positive relationship with the staff and their child's key person. They say their children are well supported and comment on the progress that they make. Parents describe the nursery as providing a 'family feel' for children and their families. Staff keep parents well informed about their child's time at the nursery. This supports continuity between the nursery and home.
• Leaders give staff well-being a high priority. They ensure that staff's workloads are manageable. Staff morale is high and many staff state that working at the setting is like 'one big family'. The provider's capacity to continually improve and drive forward change is good. Staff receive a thorough induction and have regular supervision sessions with leaders. They attend training and keep up to date with changes in early years practice.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• consider ways to develop children's understanding of how healthy eating habits contribute to their overall health
• allow children more thinking time when questions are asked of them so they can fully process their ideas to give a response.