Developing steps Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

All children settle well in this fun, friendly and welcoming nursery. Children form positive relationships with staff and feel safe and secure as staff support those new to the nursery. They show a positive attitude to learning and behave well. Children play cooperatively with their peers and are developing their independence as they get ready for garden play. They wash their hands after garden play and before meals.

The curriculum is designed and implemented well. Staff know what they want children to learn to help them progress in their development. Staff work hard to get to know and understand the children in their care. This is done by providing settling-in visits and reassuring children with familiar comforts from home. This helps children to feel safe and secure at the nursery. Staff observe children while playing and then use this information to plan more activities based on the children's interesting themes, taking account of children's next steps for development. Children show confidence in their learning abilities and share their achievements with staff. In response, staff offer praise and recognition for children's successes and invite children to celebrate these.

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

• Since the last inspection, staff have completed many training courses to enhance their knowledge and skills to better their teaching and enhance outcomes for children. Leaders help staff to be reflective practitioners through mentoring and coaching alongside regular meetings supporting their well-being.
• Staff engage well with children and talk to them about their experiences and what they encounter within the local community. This includes going to the shops and seeing the local hand car wash. Children talk about different roles people have in supermarkets and why cars get dirty and need to be clean. Staff extend children's knowledge as they plan activities to extend this learning. For instance, children enjoy washing cars like the ones they have seen.
• Staff are good role models and interact well with children. However, at times, staff are unsure of their roles and responsibilities during the routines of the day. They do not consistently organise themselves effectively, particularly when routines change. They do not always have a full awareness of what is happening around them to enable them to meet children's needs.
• Staff join in with children as they play, encouraging them to solve problems, to keep trying and offering them support. However, occasionally, staff do not encourage the quieter children to contribute and join in, particularly during group activities. At these times, more confident children capture staff's attention, and the quieter children are occasionally overlooked. This means some children's learning experiences are not extended as well.
• Staff engage children in meaningful conversation and provide a running commentary during activities. They understand how children develop their conversation skills and introduce new words to enhance their communication and increase their vocabulary. Children enjoy listening to stories and eagerly use props to interact during stories and repeat familiar phrases. This supports children to become confident communicators.
• Staff help children to develop a broad understanding of mathematical concepts. They assist children to understand individual numbers and offer activities such as counting and finding and making different shapes in the play dough. Staff introduce vocabulary such as full and empty as children play with water. This teaching supports children's mathematical development.
• Parents speak highly of their children's experience at nursery. Many comment on their gratitude for the support their children receive. They say the staff team is professional and welcoming, and their children make good progress and are happy and settled. Staff share children's learning and progress, offering suggestions to support learning at home. This supports continuity of care and learning.
• Leaders foster a positive and supportive culture. They offer staff continuous development through high-quality coaching and training. Leaders provide effective supervision and one-to-one mentoring sessions, which ensures a clear understanding of staff's strengths. They use regular reviews to help to enhance staff's skills and aspirations. Staff feel highly supported and valued.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• help staff to develop a stronger understanding of their role in managing daily routines to best meet children's needs
• support staff to include quieter children more effectively during group activities to enhance learning and development opportunities.