Diadems Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are, generally, happy and eager to come into nursery. They are warmly reassured by staff if they are upset and quickly re-join play when they are ready. Babies and toddlers build close bonds with staff. They enjoy cuddles when they are tired. Care routines, such as nappy change, are done in a sensitive way. This helps children feel safe and secure.

Children play well together and create their own games. For example, they chase each other in the garden and have bike races. Children take part in a range of activities that they enjoy, both inside and outside in the garden. They use sprayers to spray paint onto paper and talk about how all the colours are mixing into a rainbow. Children thoroughly enjoy making footprints and handprints with all the colours they created.

Staff have high expectations for children's behaviour. They set the rules clearly and act as good role models. Children know what is expected of them and behave well. They say please and thank you and are praised by staff for their good manners. Staff encourage children to share resources and use sand timers to help them understand how to take turns. They are developing an understanding of right and wrong.

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

• The manager has a clear vision of the curriculum and high expectations for all children. She shares her vision with staff who know children well. Together, they quickly identify when children might need extra help and contact outside specialists for support. Staff plan a range of activities that meet children's individual needs well. This ensures children receive the support they need to make progress from the start.
• Staff support children's communication and language skills well. They sing songs and tell stories throughout the day. Staff ask relevant questions and introduce new words during play. For example, they use words such as 'minty' and 'cavity' when talking about the importance of brushing teeth. This helps children increase their vocabulary and become confident communicators.
• Staff challenge children to solve problems on their own. For instance, they discuss why sprayers do not work and what they can do to fix them. Children are curious to find the answers and propose solutions. They become motivated learners by being involved in their own learning.
• Staff plan plenty of opportunities for children to exercise their large and small muscles. Older children pretend to write shopping lists while babies press button-operated toys. Children ride bikes confidently and use the climbing frame in the garden. As such, they are developing a vast set of physical skills.
• Staff support children to become increasingly more independent in their needs. Older children serve food, wash hands and hang their coats mostly by themselves. This prepares them for future stages in their education, such as school.
• Children learn to make healthy choices. They discuss which foods are healthier and what happens to teeth if they do not brush them. The manager plans outings, so that children have the opportunity to experience new and exciting things, such as going on a train or seeing famous landmarks. This provides children with a breadth of experiences as they learn about the world around them.
• Children have some opportunities to see themselves and their cultures reflected in the environment. For example, they have traditional clothes available and learn songs in another language. However, staff do not always identify further opportunities to explore children's individual backgrounds during their daily interactions.
• Partnership with parents is positive. They say children are happy in the setting and are always eager to come. Staff share daily updates and are available to speak to them when requested. However, parents are not consistently told about what their children are learning and their progress.
• Staff feel well supported in their roles. They do relevant training and have opportunities to discuss their professional development. The manager uses supervision and observation effectively to evaluate staff's practice and interaction with children. The manager identifies areas for improvement and acts on those. This helps to continuously improve the quality of the learning provision for children.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• identify and extend existing opportunities to explore children's home language and cultures to further enhance their understanding of the diverse world they live in, and what makes them unique
• strengthen parent partnerships by providing further opportunities for parents to learn about and discuss their children's progress.