Destiny Haven Nursery & Pre-school - N17

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Leaders and staff create a happy and safe environment for children. They know children well and take time to build strong relationships with their parents and carers. This helps children to settle and feel secure. Staff use children's interests and fascinations to help them plan the learning experiences. Therefore, children learn through activities that excite and interest them. They become deeply engaged in their play and consistently build on what they know and can do. For example, babies and toddlers show high levels of curiosity and concentration as they explore the textures of dried rice and pasta. They develop greater control over their movements as they transfer pieces into bottles and shake them to make sounds.

Leaders and staff want all children to achieve highly. They monitor their progress closely and ensure that they receive additional support with their learning where needed. Staff offer children plenty of praise and encouragement. This helps to foster children's developing abilities and boost their confidence and independence. For instance, older children proudly demonstrate that they can serve their own food and drinks at lunchtime. Staff are positive role models. They teach children kindness and respect in their day-to-day interactions. These early experiences help children to develop important skills in readiness for starting school.

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

• Leaders and staff have a clear intent for the curriculum, based on what they know about the children attending the setting. For example, they recognise that some children are not making the expected progress with their language development. Therefore, throughout all activities, staff place a strong focus on supporting children's speaking and listening skills.
• Children benefit from a language-rich environment. Books are plentiful and staff read and sing songs with children throughout the day. Staff provide one-to-one support and small-group activities, to boost children's communication and social skills. This helps all children, including children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and children who speak English as an additional language, to achieve well.
• Staff ensure that children have a voice within the setting, such as by encouraging them to vote on which books or songs they would like at circle time. They respond quickly to children's emerging interests and skilfully use these opportunities to extend children's learning. For instance, staff notice toddlers' fascination with the snails and worms they find in their garden on a rainy day. As children observe, staff introduce words such as 'wiggle' and 'underground'. They repeat words and encourage children to comment, which helps them to acquire new vocabulary.
• In general, staff promote children's positive behaviour well. For example, they frequently remind children about the setting's 'golden rules', such as having 'kind hands' and using 'walking feet' indoors. However, they do not always consider how to help younger children and children with SEND to understand what is expected of them.
• Children learn about foods which are healthy and enjoy nutritious meals at the setting. They take part in plenty of active play, such as music and movement sessions indoors and balancing activities in the garden. Staff teach children the importance of good hygiene, such as washing their hands regularly and using a tissue to wipe their nose. This learning helps children to gain the knowledge they need to make healthy choices about their lifestyles.
• Staff say that they feel valued and respected in their roles and are supported well by leaders and other colleagues. Leaders focus supervision and training, so that staff have the relevant skills to meet children's learning and welfare needs. For instance, staff have recently taken part in a 'clay project'. They use what they have learned effectively, to help promote all areas of children's development through their creative artwork.
• Parents speak highly of staff and praise the quality of care and education. They say that staff keep them well informed about their children's development and how they can also support this at home. For example, staff provide books for them to share with their children, which promotes children's language development and encourages their love of reading.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• help staff to communicate the daily routines and their expectations for behaviour effectively to all children, particularly younger children and children with SEND.