Crown Daisy Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children develop warm trusting relationships with staff, who are kind and caring. Babies and toddlers build strong bonds with the staff who care for them. For instance, as staff sing Spanish nursery rhymes, babies shake instruments with delight. Children demonstrate they feel happy, safe and well cared for. They develop good levels of confidence and self-esteem and a willingness to try new activities. For instance, older children take steps along low-level wooden beams as they gain control and confidence in their physical abilities.

Children benefit from a variety of activities, which motivate them to play and learn. Toddlers relish opportunities to be creative. They experiment with play dough, adding grasses, flowers and herbs, as they recreate favourite characters from stories. Children gain good listening and attention skills. Pre-school children sit for story time and talk about parts of the skeletons' bodies. They learn about the 'skull' and how bones connect together. Older children are highly independent. For instance, they confidently change their shoes as they go outside to play. Children recognise when they are thirsty and are able to pour drinks and dispose of used cups into the bin. This helps children to develop skills they need for the next stage in learning, including school.

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

• The management team and staff have a strong vision for the nursery and children's outcomes. The staff team work well together. The shared values and high expectations for children contribute to the high-quality learning experiences children benefit from. Changes to the way that staff use their knowledge to tailor the curriculum to children's individual needs are not yet fully embedded. The management team identify that there is more that can be done to help staff sharply focus on the identified learning intentions for each child, to help them achieve at the highest levels.
• Staff place a strong focus on developing children's literacy skills. Opportunities to introduce and share books to both older and younger children are evident throughout the nursery, and within staff practice. For instance, babies explore the different textures of materials, to help encourage their use of senses and spark curiosity in them as they explore. Toddlers point out parts of the 'Gruffalo' as they look for his 'purple prickles' and 'black tongue'. Pre-school children practise their early writing skills. They learn how to hold their pens correctly and 'write' confidently, sharing their ideas with friends.
• Children's behaviour is good. Staff promote children's personal, social and emotional development well. They are kind and respectful in their interactions with children. In turn, children learn about age-appropriate behaviour boundaries as they play with their friends. For instance, as toddlers build brick towers, they wait patiently for their friends to choose a brick, to add to the tower they build together. Children learn to value and respect the differing needs of their peers well.
• Staff say that they feel valued and respected members of the team they work in. They benefit from regular opportunities to contribute to the 'nursery vision'. The management team provide staff with regular supervisions, to support and build on their knowledge and skills. However, for some staff this is less well refined, to precisely identify their individual development needs and target support and coaching, to raise practice to the highest levels.
• The outdoor area is exciting and thoughtfully equipped. Staff have organised the outside space well and they successfully support the learning needs of all children, particularly to help develop children's risk awareness and challenge. Children develop a can-do attitude to climbing and balancing as they asses and manage their own risk safely. Staff support and encourage children well. This contributes to the good progress children make in their physical development.
• Partnerships with parents and other professionals involved in children's care are good. Parents speak very highly about the staff. They say that 'communication is excellent' and 'staff go above and beyond' in the care they provide for children. Staff work closely with parents to share children's progress and support learning at home. For instance, staff who work with babies offer advice to parents when babies are being weaned as they try a variety of new foods.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• enhance further staff's understanding of the curriculum, to help them sharply focus on the identified learning intentions for each child
• enhance supervision arrangements to precisely identify individual development needs and target support and coaching to raise practice to the highest levels.