Creative Fingers Community Nursery Ltd

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are happy and settle quickly in this welcoming nursery. Staff know the children well and plan experiences that motivate and interest them. Children like exploring and investigating the activities and toys provided at the nursery. They enjoy outside play. Children explore sand, take their turn on the slide and begin to master the skill of pedalling a tricycle. Children paint with confidence and are able to talk enthusiastically about what they are creating. Older children squeeze dough, rolling it out in order to cut out shapes.

Children are well behaved. They know what is expected of them and follow the rules and boundaries that are in place. Staff teach children about showing respect and tolerance towards each other. Children follow the good example set by staff and are generally kind and respectful to one another. For example, older children work together to construct towers.

Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are well supported. Staff use pictures to support children's understanding of words and routines. They work closely with parents and other agencies to support children's progress and understand the needs of individual children. This ensures that children's needs are well planned for and that early help is identified, where necessary, to close the gaps in their development.

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

• The manager and staff gather information from parents when children join the nursery. This helps the staff to know children's starting points and their wider life outside of the nursery. The transition process for new children joining or moving to school is designed to support children to feel safe and secure. Links with staff at the local school are good. These links help to promote a smooth transition for children when they are ready to move on to the next stage of their learning.
• The manager is a dedicated leader. She involves staff, parents and children when planning future improvements to the nursery. Staff have regular training, which is effective in improving outcomes for children. For example, staff have recently accessed training to meet the needs of children with social and communication difficulties. As a result, children's attention and listening skills have improved significantly.
• Children are provided with healthy and nutritional snacks and meals that promote their good health. They learn about the importance of healthy eating and good oral hygiene. Children remember to wash their hands after toileting and before eating. They become increasingly independent, returning their plates and cups after lunch and managing their own personal care. Children are prepared well for the next stage in their education.
• Parents speak highly of the progress their children have made while at the provision. They warmly describe the friendliness of the staff team and how happy their children are to attend the nursery. Staff provide parents with regular updates about their child's progress. For example, they hold parents' meetings and provide daily discussions to share information.
• Staff support children's emerging communication skills well. Children regularly hear words and repetitive phrases, such as through nursery rhymes and singing songs. They listen to stories and enjoy looking at books. Staff encourage children to discuss their ideas and share their thoughts. They ask questions to extend their learning. However, on occasion, some staff do not give children enough time to think and respond in order to share their knowledge and understanding.
• Many activities help children to develop early writing skills, strengthening the small muscles in their hands. Children construct buildings with blocks and use hammers to secure shapes with tacks. However, staff do not take advantage of opportunities to further extend children's learning in mathematics, such as extending their understanding of measurement as they make play dough.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• build on staff's questioning techniques to enable children to have more time to think, respond and demonstrate what they know and understand
• extend children's good mathematical skills by supporting staff to recognise and build on the opportunities that occur in children's everyday play and activities.