Cuddles & Care Children's Day Nursery Frome

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children settle easily in this inclusive nursery. They are warmly welcomed by the attentive staff, who are caring, kind and show a genuine interest in each child. New children grow in confidence very quickly. Staff support their care needs closely and offer them reassurance. They thoughtfully join children to read them a story or find toys they are interested in.

Staff plan carefully to support children's individual needs. They get down to children's level, joining them in activities, getting messy, inspiring children's investigation and encouraging their communication and language. Children paint and are excited to pour and squeeze the paint out themselves. They make marks and discuss colours. Children imaginatively play with soil, seeds and vegetables. Staff discuss the items and encourage children to open a bean pod to see what is inside. They help children to count the beans they find.

Staff evaluate the planned experiences to ensure that they cover all aspects of children's learning. For example, they have increased their focus on mathematics. Children explore capacity as they pour water into different containers. They count spoonsful of ingredients as they make play dough with staff. Staff model language well, discussing the numbers on the measuring jug and size and quantity. Children learn new words, such as gigantic, to describe the dough they have made.

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

• The nursery's overall curriculum aims focus on progressing children's skills, such as fostering confidence in their own abilities. Staff embed opportunities for this, supporting children's independence and sense of responsibility very effectively. For example, children learn to pour their own drinks, cut up fruit for snack, serve their lunch and clear away their things. Staff use innovative ways to encourage children to tidy up. Children eagerly collect resources in their individual buckets and take them to the correct areas in the room.
• Children's key persons get to know them well. They observe what children can do, assess their development and outline what children need to learn next. Management and staff thoughtfully use additional funding in a targeted manner, focusing on gaps in children's learning and life experiences. This ensures that all children can reach their potential.
• Management and staff support strong partnership working, liaising closely with parents. They work effectively with other settings that children attend and outside professionals to ensure that there is a joined-up approach and children get the help they need. Parents are very complimentary about the nursery. They say that staff's communication is good and they listen to them, helping them to support children's needs at home.
• Staff offer useful group activities for children, helping to develop their social skills and communication. Children enjoy the 'wiggles and jiggles' movement session. Older children readily join in with songs and copy actions during their hello time. They take turns as they make play dough together. However, younger children get distracted and then distract others. Staff do not always flexibly adapt their support to ensure all children's engagement and attention, particularly during adult-led activities.
• Staff offer opportunities for children to learn about their community and appreciate the diverse world in which they live. For example, staff take children to purchase items in the local shops for cooking activities. Children visit the nearby care home. They interact with the older residents, learning to appreciate other people's differences. Staff also celebrate what makes children unique, beneficially linking to children's home languages, building their confidence and encouraging their skills in English.
• Management offer close mentoring and help for new staff and apprentices. They hold regular supervision meetings with the staff team. They evaluate many aspects of practice, making changes to enhance children's time at the nursery. However, occasionally, management and staff do not review and adapt practice in the moment, such as reflecting on the effectiveness of routines. For example, when children choose to play and explore outside and spend time getting their coats on themselves, staff then call them back inside to offer them snack. This interrupts children's self-led exploration, learning and focus.
• Staff patiently support children to understand behaviour expectations. They discuss hazards and teach children about safety. Children learn to recognise and manage risks, such as wiping up spilt water and helping to put out the wet floor sign. Staff use the nursery's sensory room and new outdoor cosy space to help children regulate and manage their emotions. This is particularly effective for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• flexibly adapt support during activities, engaging children consistently and building their attention skills to higher levels
• review routines and support staff practice more readily, minimising interruptions to children's self-led learning and helping them focus and develop their skills even further.