Corner House Nursery Wistaston

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Staff know children well. They use this knowledge to provide a tailored, supportive curriculum for every child. This approach means all children's individual needs are accommodated, which promotes good progression for all who attend. Children quickly meet their development goals and are thoroughly engaged in their learning. Staff show respect to children. They listen to their opinions and involve them in decision-making. Children soak up this good role modelling and, in turn, show respect to their peers and staff.

Staff have high expectations for behaviour, which children rise to meet. Staff thoughtfully use routines and structure to help children know what is happening now and coming up next. Children respond very positively to this. They jump up on hearing the tidy-up song and take instant responsibility in clearing away their toys. They then rush to find a hiding spot, knowing that at the end of this quick job, staff are going to pretend all the children have disappeared. Giggles fill the rooms as they are found one by one.

Babies form secure, warm relationships with staff. They look to the familiar team for comfort and cuddles. They know that staff will quickly meet their needs, which helps them to settle and feel confident enough to explore.

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

• Staff understand how young children learn. They adapt how they deliver the curriculum to meet the individual needs and learning styles of every child. They consider children's interests and include these in activities to help encourage children's engagement. This works effectively and children show impressive levels of concentration and focus in their learning, including the youngest babies.
• Outdoor play is an integral aspect of the curriculum. Children access resources, run off energy and play games with their peers, revelling in the fresh air and space. Children thrive outdoors.
• The management team members are highly focused on continuous improvement. They use their keen evaluative skills to identify strengths and weaknesses in the nursery. They are proactive in their approach and have a shared vision of continuously evolving and raising standards for all children. This is reflected in the environment. Children are happy and staff are committed to their roles.
• Importance is placed on children's health. The management team members, alongside staff, have curated a balanced, nutritious menu for children. They also incorporate regular exercise into the curriculum, through fun classes that involve sports and dancing. Even babies show off their first dance moves and wiggles. This support for children's personal development helps to instil positive attitudes in children towards maintaining good, healthy practices.
• Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are well supported. They quickly begin to meet their learning goals thanks to the individualised support and learning offered by all staff. Any gaps in children's learning quickly diminish.
• Overall, staff report that they feel valued, heard and respected by the management team. They appreciate the positive changes that have been implemented. They actively engage with supervisions and feel inspired to access training opportunities and learn new skills. However, a small number of staff feel pressure from their workload, and this leaves them feeling stressed at times.
• The management team is committed to supporting children and families. It recognises the modern pressures many families face and has systems in place to relieve some strain. For instance, parents have access to free meals to bring home if needed, as well as a food bank and nappy bank which are free for all to use. However, professional development for the management team members does not always help them to keep up to date with all the support available to families, including where children may be eligible for additional funding. That said, due to the support provided to families and children by the setting there is minimal impact.
• Partnerships with parents are effective. Parents say that they feel involved in their children's learning and equipped to support this learning further at home. They are impressed with their children's ongoing development and the effective communication from the management team and staff. This helps to provide consistency for children in the support they experience at the nursery and at home.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• further consider ways to engage effectively with staff to minimise any pressure from their workload
• strengthen leaders' professional development to enable them to gain a secure and up-to-date knowledge and understanding of all support available for children and families.