Conkers Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

In the main, children cooperate well in groups and show good team spirit as they cheer their peers on when playing games. Staff are good role models and encourage children to take turns. They show children how to use manners. Overall, children's behaviour is good. Staff help children learn independence skills and encourage them to have a try during play. Older children self-register in a morning and have the opportunity to concentrate during activities. This helps them prepare for their move on to school. Staff help children to develop their fine-motor and handwriting skills through a range of planned tasks. For example, children spend time using scissors and tape to wrap presents.

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

• Leaders support staff to deliver a sequenced and planned curriculum to help children reach the key goals in their learning. They are good role models to staff. Children make good progress from the start, particularly in their social and communication skills. Staff model new words to children as they smell cloves and cinnamon, such as 'spicy' and 'sweet'. Older children are prompted by conversation starter cards on the dining table. They hold lengthy discussions with staff and their friends.
• Staff are starting to help children identify their emotions and begin to consider other people's feelings. For example, they help children create happy and sad faces outside with items they find in the garden. However, staff do not always consistently support all children to understand the rules and boundaries, and why they are in place. This occasionally leads to some children not following instructions or the setting rules. Therefore, children are not always fully understanding the impact their actions have on others.
• In the main, staff support children to follow good health and hygiene routines, such as regular handwashing and nose blowing. However, on the rare occasion, staff do not always implement their training around health and hygiene in a fully effective way. For example, a babies bottle is left in the reach of other children. Although staff do move this before children can access it, this does not promote children's hygiene in a consistent way. That said, leaders took immediate action to rectify this and support staff with their practice.
• Children are exposed to a range of cultural traditions and learn about festive practices. Leaders have developed links with the local community to help children integrate with new people and understand their differences. Additionally, the nursery has a new communal room where families can come if they need support or a safe space to play with their children. This promotes children's emotional well-being.
• Leaders offer staff a good level of support and coaching. Staff feel valued and know how to ask for help. As a result, the staff team are positive. This is reflected in the warm and inviting atmosphere provided for children. Staff are committed to helping children achieve and offer them care and praise where appropriate. Children are proud to show staff their creations. They display the same high levels of self-esteem and enthusiasm as staff.
• Leaders and staff have formed good relationships with families. However, systems to enable all parents to be fully involved in their children's learning needs and assessment are not fully embedded. This means that some children's key areas of development are not supported consistently between nursery and home.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• strengthen partnerships with parents to promote a consistent two-way flow of information regarding children's learning and development
• continue to support children to understand the setting rules and boundaries and how their behaviour impacts others
• support staff to apply training around health and hygiene practices in a consistent and fully effective way.