Corner House Nursery Trafford Park

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are happy and safe at this warm and inviting nursery. Although the COVID-19 pandemic has slightly altered their experiences, children show resilience as they adapt to changes. For example, they are excited to show their parents around their classrooms, now that visitors are allowed in. A successful key-person system means that staff get to know children well and support their well-being.

Children show positive attitudes towards their learning. They learn how to regulate their behaviour and feelings in an age-appropriate way. Babies persevere as they learn to crawl, walk and climb up low-level apparatus. They explore the sounds of musical instruments and babble with delight. Toddlers develop their small-muscle skills as they pick up leaves, using tweezers. They excitedly notice an ant outdoors while digging in the soil. Older children make their own play dough and use their imaginations to build a 'castle' with small construction blocks. Outdoors, they practise taking turns and develop their spatial awareness as they engage in ring games. Children are learning that they should value and celebrate similarities and differences between themselves and others, such as the way that they look and the languages that they speak.

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

• The nursery serves a diverse community. Its ethos reflects that 'all children are unique' and leaders explain the importance of recognising children as individuals. They say that every child is at the centre of the nursery. Accurate self-evaluation includes the views of children, parents and staff. This enables leaders to know how to further improve the nursery.
• Overall, children access a broad curriculum which follows their interests and current events, such as the Queen's platinum jubilee. This helps children, including those in receipt of additional funding, to make good progress. However, the curriculum has not yet been fully designed with a sharp enough focus on identifying the precise knowledge and skills that children need to acquire and in what order. This means that staff do not always consistently best support children's progression in learning.
• Staff promote children's communication and language skills well. They read stories and sing to children throughout the day. Staff interact with children as they play and encourage them to use new words. For example, toddlers repeat the phrase 'a small leaf' to compare sizes. Older children explain their understanding of the word 'celebration' and say that the Queen is a 'royal person who takes care of us'.
• The support in place for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) is strong. Leaders and staff know how to support children's learning and care needs. They monitor interventions closely to ensure that children with SEND make good and better progress.
• Care practices are good. Staff foster children's growing independence. For example, older children enjoy helping staff to make cucumber sandwiches. They help to set up the table for lunch and put their things away when they have finished eating. Children learn good manners and are confident to interact with visitors. For example, they are keen to point out and name the different letters on the inspector's laptop.
• Staff report that they enjoy their work and feel supported by leaders. For example, some comment that they have regained their 'spark' due to how passionate leaders are. Staff follow a comprehensive induction process and keep up to date with mandatory training. However, leaders acknowledge that the programme of coaching and support for staff needs strengthening, to raise practice to a consistent level across the nursery.
• Partnership working is effective. Staff engage well with external professionals, such as making links with other settings to support transitions. Parents describe staff as 'caring' and 'nurturing' and say that they get to know their children well. Staff provide information which helps parents to continue their children's learning at home. Leaders invite parents to exciting events, such as stay-and-play sessions and an afternoon tea party.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• sharpen curriculum planning, to identify more precisely the knowledge and skills that children need to acquire and in what order
• strengthen the programme of coaching and support, to raise staff practice to a consistent level across the nursery.