Countryside Day Nursery Ltd

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are happy and enjoy their time in this caring nursery. They benefit from an extended settling-in process. They get to know staff, the nursery building and routines before starting and when moving on to another room in the nursery. Staff have high expectations of every child and provide an engaging curriculum for children to learn through play. Children are confident and self-motivated learners. For example, babies happily move to investigate what is in the room and choose what they want to play with. Older children stay focused and show excitement in their play. All children make good progress in their learning.

Children learn how to be independent. For instance, staff teach them to use mirrors to clean their faces after eating and support them to learn how to put on their own coats. Staff prepare children well for the transition to school and teach them important skills, such as how to follow instructions. Children also learn how to keep themselves safe and staff teach them about risks. For example, they practise fire drills at the nursery and understand how to leave the building safely. They know to put a hat on when it is sunny and tell staff that they can come outside as they already have sun cream on.

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

• Staff have a clear idea about what they want children to learn. They use regular observations of children to identify next steps in each child's learning and development. Staff put swift interventions in place for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. They work closely with parents, outside agencies and other settings children attend. They make sure that the learning opportunities offered meet children's needs and they are ready for their next stages in learning.
• The manager monitors staff practice. She provides supervision sessions and coaching that help staff to develop their skills and knowledge. Staff enjoy working at the nursery and staff morale is high. They strive to constantly improve. For example, they regularly research ways to better support children's progress and share this with their colleagues.
• Staff model good manners. They teach children how to follow the rules and expectations of the nursery. For instance, younger children learn to sit on spots during short carpet times to support their ability to sit and listen well. Children use sand timers to share toys and mostly play nicely alongside their friends. However, staff do not always explain the consequences of children's actions on others around them and the toys in the nursery. As a result, on occasions, children are not as gentle as they could be in their play.
• Staff teach children about healthy lifestyles. Children enjoy the range of nutritious snacks and meals offered by the nursery. They learn which foods are good for us and the importance of cleaning our teeth. Staff ensure children play outside in the fresh air throughout the day. They provide lots of opportunities for physical movement to build children's strength and fitness.
• Staff effectively promote children's communication and language skills. For instance, they introduce new words and model correct pronunciation. They narrate children's play and children respond with their own words. Children are confident communicators. Babies show staff toys and say the words, such as 'tractor'. Older children are keen to share their thoughts and use high-level vocabulary like 'camouflage'.
• Staff know the children well. There is a strong key-person system and effective communication between staff and parents. However, on occasions, staff do not always use this knowledge effectively for the oldest children during whole-group activities. As a result, children's inaccuracies are sometimes not addressed and other children do not have enough challenge to extend their learning further. For example, when older children are miss-counting objects, staff miss opportunities to support them straight away.
• Children are well prepared for life in modern Britain. Staff plan relevant experiences to widen children's cultural awareness. For example, children join other nurseries to learn about the festivals of the children who attend. They learn about the diversity around them and to respect and celebrate differences.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• provide the pre-school children with relevant support and challenge during whole group activities to ensure their full engagement
• teach children to understand the consequences of their actions so they are gentle in their play at all times and maintain their normally good levels of behaviour.