Dicky Birds Nurseries Ltd - Pepys Road

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are extremely happy, secure and have consistently positive attitudes to their play and learning. They confidently explore the well thought out environment, making choices in their play. Staff know the children incredibly well and have lovely relationships with them. Staff support children to be resilient and and take pride in their achievements. They put children's needs at the heart of everything that they do and guide children through exciting learning experiences that enhance their current skills. For instance, children delight in using different tools to wash a car, they then visit a petrol station where they begin to learn how the car works.

Staff have an excellent understanding of how children learn and plan activities to extend and support them. They follow the children's lead and interest and skilfully build on what children know and can do, sequencing their learning. For example, children make volcanoes with the water, staff talk to them about what is happening and introduce new vocabulary. To extend it further they set up science experiments, mixing different ingredients to make them erupt like volcanoes.

The manager and staff support the children exceptionally well to learn about their community and the environment. For example they go on regular outings around the nursery and take part in their 'make a difference' week. Children take part in a litter pick around the nursery and do events such as a bike wash or cake sale to raise money for local charities.

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

• Staff know the children incredibly well and understand how each of them learn and develop. Staff complete regular assessments and plan activities based on children's interests and next steps in their learning. Staff also collect information from parents about what children are doing at home to support this. As a result staff quickly identify any gaps in children's learning. All children make good progress and are incredibly well prepared for the next stage in their learning.
• Staff have excellent relationships with parents and go the extra mile to support them. For example, they provide breakfasts and snacks for them to take away with them, activity ideas for home and staff hold regular events to involve parents in the nursery and share what their children are learning.
• The manager values her staff team and well-being is very important to them. She has introduced employee of the month and provides care packages and mindfulness activities for staff. Staff attend regular supervisions and have access to various schemes to support them.
• The manager and staff team are extremely reflective and constantly look at what they are doing well and what can be improved. They collect feedback from parents and other professionals and use this information to make improvements that will benefit the children and their families. For example, they have recently developed the garden area and plan to provide first aid courses for parents.
• Children learn to be very independent while at nursery. For example, they use self care stations to wipe their own noses and confidently serve themselves at meal times.
• Children have excellent opportunities to develop their physical skills. For instance, they enjoy exploring the garden or physical rooms where they climb, balance and play ball games. Children also take part in weekly sports sessions and forest school sessions.
• Babies are happy and settled and have lovely relationships with the staff who are calm and gentle. Staff plan a lot of sensory activities that spark children's interest and curiosity. This helps children to make excellent progress. For instance babies delight in exploring mud as they search for different insects and animals and enjoy painting with cars.
• Staff have excellent communication skills, they speak slowly and clearly and introduce new words such as camouflage when looking at inspects and colours. With older children they ask questions to support and extend their learning, encouraging them to problem solve themselves and share their own ideas.
• Staff support children's behaviour incredibly well, they use stories to help children express how they feel and check in with them throughout the day, encouraging children to express themselves. Staff have introduced different methods, such as sand timers to help with managing transitions and sharing of toys. Children are very kind and caring, for example, they happily share toys and show care and concern for each other.
• Staff receive regular training that has a positive impact on their practice. For example, some staff have recently attended training for working with children under two and since have grown in confidence as they have a better understanding of how babies learn and how best to support them.