Cumberland Road Nursery and Preschool

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are extremely happy and thrive in this nursery, which is highly effective and inspiring. Children benefit from a curriculum, designed by staff, that promotes the development of their independence skills. For example, staff offer opportunities to enhance children's physical development. Children work in small groups and learn to pour water into cups and containers using teapots, different sized jars and pipettes. This helps develop their fine and gross motor skills.

Older children actively engage in a stimulating range of activities, using carefully considered resources that staff provide. For example, children shriek with excitement when creating a volcanic eruption by mixing different ingredients with bicarbonate of soda. Staff interact and expertly guide and extend children's learning by providing lemons for children to continue their experiment.

Children follow the routines and structures consistently. Staff have very high expectations of children and they exemplify excellent behaviour. They provide children with the opportunity to recall the 'golden rules' at circle time in the morning and afternoon. Consequently, children always demonstrate exceptional behaviour and manners and show high levels of respect and care. For example, children help their friends put the apron on before playing with water.

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

• Knowledgeable and caring staff understand and know each child's needs and next steps in learning well. They use this to plan a wide array of activities and experiences to ignite children's curiosity and interests. The curriculum is designed and implemented to build on children's current knowledge, providing ample opportunities for them to practise their skills. Staff are exceptionally passionate and have an excellent understanding of what children need to learn and the curriculum focus for each key child. Consequently, all children, including children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and children who speak English as an additional language, make excellent progress from their starting points.
• Staff across the nursery promote children's communication, language and social skills consistently and exceptionally well. Children learn about different emotions through the book, 'The Colour Monster'. They articulate how they are feeling and seek the support they need from staff independently. This leads to children managing their behaviour and emotions, resulting in the creation of a calm and nurturing environment. Staff extend children's communication and language skills at each stage of their development. For example, 'What's in the box?' is an activity consistently taught in every room daily to enhance children's language and acquisition of new vocabulary. In the baby room, children are encouraged to sing nursery rhymes. In the toddler room, children are encouraged to name and use words in context. In the pre-school room, children are taught to use descriptive language.
• Children with SEND and any other additional needs have excellent support to meet their needs and help them to make good progress. The extremely knowledgeable special educational needs coordinator works closely with parents, the local authority inclusion team and other professionals to implement bespoke support plans. This promotes children's good progress and reduces gaps in learning. Staff are sensitive to the needs of children's individual needs and share strategies with parents to raise the quality of children's experiences.
• Managers support staff to provide extra-curricular activities and experiences to help children to develop the skills they need for their future lives. Children across the nursery display a love for animals. Children enjoy participating in activities, such as horse riding and trips to the pet store. Staff support children to build a culture of respect for the older generation. Children benefit from attending celebratory events with the care home residents, that share the building with the nursery, such as the coronation for King Charles III. Managers and staff also foster a sense of community among the children, and they regularly visit the local food bank to donate food.
• Staff develop excellent relationships with parents. Managers and staff implement projects, such as healthy eating and 'loan a bike' to support parents and improve their knowledge on how to support their children to be healthy and independent. Parents compliment the home-learning packs, which are differentiated for different age groups, that enable them to support their child with their learning at home.
• The inspirational manager is dedicated and passionate about supporting staff development and ensuring that their well-being is of the highest priority. The manager, pedagogy coach and regional manager encourage staff to develop the curriculum and ensure that the environment is enabling and fosters independence. Managers take on board staff feedback and work together to evaluate and improve the provision for children regularly. A huge emphasis is placed on providing more language-rich experiences to narrow the language deficit among children following the Covid-19 pandemic.