Daisy & Jake Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Staff have formed strong bonds with children and their families. Upon arrival, they receive a warm welcome from kind and caring staff who know them well. As a result, children are supported to leave their parents confidently as they go off to find their friends. Their day is filled with fun-filled activities, which build their vocabulary and language development. Children enjoy the many opportunities to listen to stories and sing songs.

Staff support children's personal development extremely well. This is a real strength at this setting. Leaders and staff plan and prioritise their curriculum and daily routines to provide children with a wide range of experiences to promote their independence, resilience, and confidence. For example, staff help babies to settle extremely well, so they quickly have the confidence to explore the environment and objects around them. From an early stage, staff support young children to use the self-care station, They quickly learn how to wipe their noses, place tissues in the bin and know why they need to wash their hands. The curriculum is highly effective in promoting children's physical and emotional health and well-being.

Most staff set clear expectations for behaviour and routines. Children are encouraged to 'be kind' and have 'kind hands'. Consequently, children behave well, they share and cooperate with each other in their play. Pre-school children work tirelessly together to build complicated roads and bridges in the construction area. Children are confident and independent learners.

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

• Leaders provide an ambitious curriculum filled with extremely rich and varied experiences. However, occasionally, staff do not deliver the curriculum in the way that leaders have planned. Additionally, there are times when teaching is not carefully sequenced or pitched at just the right level, particularly for the younger children. This is particularly evident when staff promote skills in mathematics. This means that children do not consistently make the connections needed to help them to learn as effectively as possible.
• Staff focus on promoting children's positive behaviours. Children listen to instructions and understand when they need to share and take turns. Pre-school children learn basic first aid and show that they care about their friends. Children are learning key skills to help them in their future.
• Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are very well supported. Excellent use of the key-person system and staff's accurate assessment means that gaps in children's learning, and any specific needs, are identified early and acted on quickly. Staff work in unison with parents and external agencies to help all SEND children make the best progress.
• Staff strongly support children to learn about keeping healthy. Children enjoy home-cooked, healthy meals, which are prepared by the nursery chef. They also take part in cooking activities with the chef and parents are provided with recipe cards, so they can make meals from the nursery menu at home. Additionally, staff take the children to the local dentist, where they are introduced to the environment and learn how to take care of their teeth. These activities positively support them in forming healthy habits for their future.
• Staff plan exciting visits and trips to enable children to learn about the world around them. Children enjoy going to the local shops, where they learn how technology is used to pay for their shopping. They are regular visitors to the local care home. They are also collecting food items for the Harvest Festival. Children have a real understanding and sense of belonging in their community.
• Parents are extremely complimentary about this setting. They say that they receive detailed communication about their child's daily care and learning, and that their children are making good progress. Parents receive hints and tips to try at home with their children. This supports the setting and parents to work together to provide consistent care for the children.
• Leaders and staff recognise the value of continuous quality improvement. Together they build personalised training plans, which are informed by frequent observations of their practice. Leaders are committed to further improving all staff's practice to help them to provide high-quality interactions and deliver all of the curriculum consistently well.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• strengthen the implementation of the curriculum, so that it builds sequentially on what children know and can do.