Crazy 4 Kids Radstone Nursery & Out Of School Club

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are eager to get inside the nursery when they arrive, to see what activities they will be doing. They cheerfully greet the staff and their friends and quickly settle to play. Children demonstrate that they feel a sense of belonging at the nursery. They know where to find the toys they want to extend their own play, and they quickly learn the daily routines. Children are confident to select items, such as art and craft resources, to make their own pictures. For example, some use glue and shiny gems to make bauble pictures, and others recall previous discussions about the World Cup and draw their own flags. Staff actively promote children's self-esteem. They comment on children's efforts and achievements, giving them lots of praise.

Children are encouraged to lead their own play. When children show an interest in pretend baking, staff facilitate this. Children engage in conversations with each other and the staff about baking and cooking in a variety of activities. They use lots of mathematical language as they play. Spoons and scoops are used to fill containers with sand and mud outside. Children talk with staff about how long it will take to 'cook'. They make estimations, such as five minutes. Children are keen to discuss what they are doing. They say they are stirring and mixing and use their imagination. They say they are making chocolate cake in the mud kitchen.

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

• The new manager works very well with the staff and has made significant improvements since the last inspection. Effective team working contributes to the improvements being embedded into practice at the nursery. Staff demonstrate a clear understanding of how to implement the curriculum for the children. Ongoing supportive coaching for the staff is in place. Staff make observations of each other's activity with children, and this promotes continuous improvements to the teaching.
• Staff offer children a good range of activities they can choose from freely. The activities are planned around children's interests, and staff speak confidently about what they want children to learn. Children enjoy working together and often move between the activities as a group. However, sometimes, the large group activities and story times are not pitched correctly for all the children taking part, resulting in some children losing interest and becoming distracted.
• Staff's interaction with children is very positive. For example, they talk to children about rolling balls of play dough in their hands and demonstrate how to put them together, making a snowman. Staff refer to a picture of a snowman to help children understand what a snowman looks like. Occasionally, however, staff do not follow spontaneous interests the children show during activities. For example, when children explore Christmas baubles in a tray, they are interested in the colours and textures. They are keen to use the strings to hang them up, but staff do not follow this emerging interest to extend children's learning.
• Overall, children's communication and language skills are promoted, as staff talk to them during play. They use descriptive words that widen children's vocabulary, including telescope, shiny and helicopter. Children are eager to repeat the words, and they speak confidently to staff.
• Relationships between children and staff are positive. Staff know the children well and anticipate when children need reassurance. Children are confident to approach staff for help when they need it, and they rapidly develop independence. For example, children put their own coat on and change into their wellington boots for outside play. Staff help children to gain confidence to take risks as they play. For example, children know staff are there to help them when they learn to balance on tyres in the garden.
• Children are excited and motivated to join in with the activities. Staff take full account of children's interests when they plan, which promotes children's curiosity. Children listen to staff when they give reminders about the expectations for behaviour. Children respond to the consistent approach from staff when they successfully manage minor disagreements between themselves.
• Parents speak positively about the nursery. They are very happy with how staff support their children and manage any additional needs they have. Parents comment on the effective communication from staff, which helps them continue their children's learning at home. Staff find out information from parents about what children do at home and plan activities to widen their experiences. For children with fewer opportunities than others to read books, staff provide library books. Parents are encouraged to carry out activities linked to the story, to help children's communication and language skills.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• improve the planning and organisation of large group activities and story times to ensure they are meaningful for all of the children taking part
• improve staff's understanding of how to extend children's learning by following their emerging interests during child-led play.