Daisy Chain Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children receive a warm welcome at this friendly nursery. They arrive with their home-learning bags full of autumn leaves and twigs, which they later use in their mud pie making and craft activities. Babies start their morning routine outside in the garden and older children are eager to explore the exciting learning environment staff have planned for them.

Leaders and staff have high aspirations for children, including those children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). The nursery's core values, 'enhancing curiosity, feeling welcome, growing and learning', are embedded in staff's practice. As such, children demonstrate that they feel safe and secure and have strong relationships with those that care for them and with each other. Staff model expectations for children's behaviour and routines. For example, children learn to say please and thank you. They work cooperatively to complete joint tasks. Children show great kindness as they play harmoniously together.

Additionally, children are supported to learn about the world around them and beyond. For example, they frequently engage with their local community, undertake fundraising activities and plan exciting trips further afield. This helps to ensure that children are prepared well for life in modern Britain.

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

• Staff report that they feel well supported by the leadership team. Leaders work closely with the staff. They do this through peer observations of practice, together with regular supervision and staff meetings. Leaders ensure all staff receive the guidance and training they need to fulfil their role. This supports all children's excellent development.
• Children are provided with an ambitious curriculum to help them build a foundation for their next steps and future learning. The effective key-person system and accurate use of assessment means that any gaps in children's learning are identified and acted on.
• Staff support children effectively to develop their independence skills by encouraging them to try things for themselves. For example, babies are supported to feed themselves and have a go at washing their hands and faces afterwards. Toddlers independently take off their wet weather suits and hang them up on the pegs. Pre-school children access various learning stations to make choices about what they want to do next. Children are confident and independent learners.
• Staff provide many purposeful opportunities for children to be physically active. Children independently choose where they take their learning as they move freely between different learning environments, both indoors and outdoors.
• When outdoors, children are supported to navigate ramps and balance beams to help them develop their spatial awareness and balance. When playing in the sand rooms, children use their large- and small-muscle strength to move great volumes of sand. Such activities help children to develop important skills for the future. This supports children's overall physical development.
• Staff support the communication and language of all children effectively. They expertly weave core stories and nursery rhymes throughout the learning environment. Children hear an extensive range of words and sounds to extend their speaking and listening skills. Furthermore, staff make excellent use of additional strategies to support children with SEND when they identify gaps in their speech, language and communication. Children are confident communicators.
• Leaders have high ambitions for what they want children to learn. However, on occasions the curriculum for mathematics is not precisely sequenced. This does not help some children to build on what they know and can do.
• Parent partnerships are strong. Parents and/or carers spoken to at the inspection report that they feel well supported in their children's learning and development. They enjoy the home learning activities provided by the staff, which help them to feel part of their child's experience at the setting. Parents were very complimentary of the staff team in helping their children to settle quickly into nursery life and of the progress their children have made.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• precisely sequence the curriculum for mathematics to build on what children know and can do.