Dicky Birds Pre School Nurseries Ltd - Brighton Road

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are very happy and feel at home in this warm and welcoming nursery. Staff greet everyone with a smile and kind words which helps even the newest children settle in quickly. Children develop strong relationships with the staff and each other. This helps children feel safe and ready to join in.

All children are confident and highly interested in exploring the stimulating environment staff create. Staff use children's interests to plan activities that capture children's attention, such as bubble making in the water tray. Children are confident and playful. Older children initiate their own games outdoors, such as making a 'cake' in the mud kitchen. Staff teach them to follow simple rules, such as taking turns and going down the slide feet first.

Staff sequence children's learning very well. For example, babies develop their finger muscles as they explore the texture of gloop. Toddlers develop these muscles even further as they make marks with sponges and paint. Pre-school children demonstrate great control as they use scissors to cut string. This means children develop the skills they will need, such as for developing writing at a later stage in their learning. Leaders and managers are highly ambitious for children's learning and set out clear learning intentions so children are ready to start school.

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

• The key-person arrangements are highly effective. Staff gather information about children's personal routines and preferences to tailor their care to meet children's individual needs. This helps children feel secure at the nursery.
• Staff use their observations of children's development well. They use assessments effectively to plan activities that support the next step in children's learning. All children are supported well to make good progress.
• There are suitable arrangements in place for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Staff put plans in place to support children's individual learning needs and liaise with parents to gain a deeper understanding of children's development.
• Children have lots of opportunities to develop their own thinking and try out their ideas. Toddlers experiment with different tools to make marks in the sand. Staff skilfully encourage older children to solve problems, such as how to hang up their bird boxes. This helps children develop positive attitudes to learning.
• Children's personal, social and emotional development is supported well. Children learn skills to become independent, such as having opportunities to choose their own resources, serve themselves at mealtimes and use the toilet independently. Staff give children lots of encouragement and praise as they try new things, which supports their self-esteem.
• Overall, staff interact with children well and the quality of education is good. Staff model how to use resources and give children time to do things for themselves. On occasion, staff are not clear about what they want children to learn during their play, to further extend their learning. However, this does not significantly impact on children's positive experiences and enjoyment of the activities provided.
• Children develop good communication and language skills. Staff comment on children's play and ask thoughtful questions that encourage children to join in with conversations. Babies point and make sounds as they share books with a member of staff. Toddlers begin to develop a wide vocabulary, such as saying 'sprinkles' as they watch sand fall from their fingers.
• Leadership and management is effective. Staff report they feel well supported and have opportunities to discuss the needs of the children they care for. Leaders and managers are positive role models for staff and, overall, provide staff with effective ongoing guidance and support to fulfil their roles.
• Leaders and managers are highly reflective and continuously evaluate the quality of their provision. They identify areas for future development, such as improving outdoor play provision and extending opportunities for children to learn to care for the environment.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• continue to develop learning opportunities for staff so children's learning is consistently supported to a high level.