Daydream Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children have developed strong relationships with the staff at this nursery. Staff are caring and make sure they quickly get to know the children when they first start. All children are confident when visitors come to the setting. Babies show off their toys, and older children excitedly point to displays of themselves on the wall.

There is a strong focus at this nursery on igniting children's natural curiosity and imagination. All children enjoy when staff provide simple, everyday objects such as pots and tins for open-ended play. Even the youngest children show prolonged engagement as they use tins in different ways and combine them with other loose parts, developing their imagination and creativity. For example, some babies place objects inside their tins and turn them into a shaker.

Staff have high expectations for children's learning. They are good role models and offer children lots of praise and encouragement. Children are well behaved. They understand what is expected of them at nursery and are aware of the rules and boundaries in place. Children find the activities staff plan for them fun and interesting. Their interest and concentration are maintained because staff are skilled at joining in their play.

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

• Staff plan interesting, exciting activities based on children's learning needs. They implement activities well overall and confidently explain what they want children to achieve. During a science experiment to mix ingredients, staff show their own genuine awe and wonder as they watch with the children to see what happens when the ingredients are mixed. This heightens the children's curiosity. Children excitedly predict that their mixture is going to 'explode'.
• Staff promote children's communication and language well. For example, as staff play a 'what's in the box' game with older children, they use descriptive language such as 'fragile' to help children work out what might be inside. Younger children enjoy listening to stories. Toddlers ask to hear their favourite story again and again and join in enthusiastically, knowing what is going to happen next.
• Support for children who speak English as an additional language is inconsistent. At times, staff do not use children's home languages effectively at nursery to further support children's well-being and their language development at home.
• Children are kind, considerate and want to help each other. For example, one toddler recognises that a friend's nose needs wiping and goes to get a tissue to help them.
• The nursery has undergone significant changes over the past few months. Overall, parents comment that staff have handled this well, and they state that their children are settled and happy. Parents comment that they love the little anecdotes that staff relay at the end of the day, which demonstrates to them that staff really pay attention to their child. However, staff do not consistently share ideas with parents about how they can support their children's learning at home.
• The management team has a hands-on approach, which boosts staff's well-being. Staff comment that they feel well supported. They have regular meetings with the manager and have access to training to improve their skills and knowledge. Staff share what they have learned at staff meetings so that everyone can benefit.
• Mealtimes are sociable occasions where children and staff come together. Staff promote children's good health effectively and provide freshly cooked, nutritious food. Children develop an awareness of hygiene routines from an early age as they wash their hands before meals.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• enhance opportunities for children who speak English as an additional language to hear and use their home language at nursery, to further support their well-being and their communication and language development
• further extend partnership working with parents by sharing ideas about what they can do to support their children's learning at home.