Cosy Corner Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Staff at the nursery get to know children well, particularly those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). They find out about children's individual needs and work closely with other professionals involved in their care. This helps staff to adapt the curriculum and their teaching to ensure children with SEND are included and well supported. Staff form lovely relationships with children. Those working in the baby room recognise the importance of lots of physical contact and cuddles to help babies feel safe and secure. Children are happy and their emotional well-being is of high priority.

Leaders provide children with a broad curriculum that helps to prepare them for the next stage in their learning. Children have a lovely attitude to learning and show good levels of concentration. Younger children confidently navigate the climbing equipment while carrying an object in their arms. They show great strength and determination as they carefully complete the obstacle course. Children are keen to use the bicycles independently. They learn to push themselves forward, strengthening their leg muscles and balancing skills. This promotes children's overall good health and well-being.

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

• Leaders plan a balanced curriculum that is tailored to meet children's individual needs and abilities. They understand how to sequence the curriculum to help children build on their existing skills and knowledge. Staff monitor children's development and have a good knowledge of what they already know and what they want them to learn next. Overall, the curriculum is implemented well, which helps children to make good progress.
• The arrangements in place for supporting children with SEND are strong. Staff get to know children with SEND very well and have a secure knowledge of how best to support them. They implement individual learning plans which include targets set by outside agencies. Leaders monitor the progress of children closely and use additional funding wisely. This ensures that children with SEND make good progress and those at risk of falling behind receive the support they need in a timely manner.
• Generally, staff promote children's communication and language development well. They engage them in back-and-forth conversations and encourage them to repeat new words. Babies babble and learn to say key words, such as 'bye'. Older children use descriptive words, such as 'spikey' and 'wobbly' in their play. However, not all staff recognise the impact of unnecessary dummy use. They encourage children to talk and sing with dummies in their mouths. This creates unclear speech sounds, which hinders children's emerging speaking skills.
• Literacy development is well implemented. Staff read clearly to children and encourage them to explore the meaning of the text. They ask open-ended questions to test out children's understanding. Children are keen to join in and make links with their own experiences, such as what makes them feel happy and sad. They are confident to share their opinions and make comments, such as 'when I am sad, I go to bed'. Children are developing some important skills in preparation for their move to school.
• Staff model positive behaviour and teach children about the importance of sharing and taking turns. They provide children with opportunities, such as small group activities, to practise these skills. Children listen carefully to staff and follow instructions confidently. They behave very well and have a good understanding of what is expected of them at nursery. This creates a calm and relaxed environment.
• Staff help children to learn about the differences between themselves and others. They teach them about celebrations, such as Eid and Chinese New Year. When children first start, they create 'my family and me' books and boards using photos of their family. Staff use these to promote discussions about different family dynamics and cultures. This develops children's understanding of others and prepares them for life in modern Britain.
• The providers are dedicated to making the nursery an enjoyable place to be. They recognise the pressures leaders and staff face and work hard to reduce their workload. Staff are very happy and well settled in their roles. They access professional development opportunities and supervision meetings. However, leaders do not monitor the impact of professional development consistently. As such, there are inconsistencies in the delivery of the curriculum and the quality of interactions across the staff team.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support staff to recognise the impact of dummy use on children's communication and language development
• strengthen the procedures for monitoring staff practice to provide more consistency in the quality of education.