Diggle Day Nursery and Education Centre Ltd

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Staff create a warm, interesting and nurturing environment in which children thrive. Children enter happily, and they quickly choose play activities with their friends. Staff take the time to get to know the children well. They work in partnership with parents to identify what children know and can do, their likes and interests. Staff use this information to build an exciting curriculum. This creates the building blocks for future learning. Staff read books to children, which helps them develop a love of reading. Young children enjoy the opportunities to curl up in the book corner to read a favourite story. Older children talk about the different parts of a book, such as the roles of the author and illustrator. Furthermore, children learn that books can be used to gather information as well as reading for pleasure.

Staff are generally ambitious for children and want them to succeed. They are intuitive and know when to step in to support children. This helps children to persevere at more complex tasks. Staff have high aspirations for children's behaviour. Children behave well. They are kind and considerate to their friends and others. Children's conversations and laughter resonate throughout the nursery. Children provide encouragement when their friends are struggling to complete a task, such as fitting the large construction pieces together. Children are their friends' biggest advocates. They cheer in delight when they succeed. This successfully fosters children's confidence and self-esteem.

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

• The provider and new manager have a secure understanding of the strengths in staff practice. Staff say that they feel valued. High priority is given to staff's well-being, training and support. This means staff have the necessary skills and knowledge to fulfil their roles.
• Overall, the manager and staff have created a balanced and carefully sequenced curriculum that helps most children to succeed. However, occasionally, staff do not implement the ambitious intentions for children's learning and what they can achieve. Consequently, some children do not engage fully with the activities. This does not help them to reach their full potential.
• Staff are skilled communicators. They ask interesting questions that enable children to think and solve simple problems. Staff introduce new words, such as 'stomp,' 'brachiosaurus' and 'roar' to extend children's vocabulary. Children are confident to use these words in their play.
• Mathematics is firmly embedded into daily routines and activities. Children enjoy measuring the 'dough worms' and identify which are the 'longest', 'shortest' and 'fattest'. Staff introduce younger children to counting through songs. Consequently, children learn about number, counting and early mathematical concepts.
• Staff create an exciting outdoor curriculum that supports children's physical development. Children learn to use a range of wheeled resources. For example, they skilfully manoeuvre a cart around the outdoor area. Children learn to balance, hop and jump as they re-enact stories, such as 'We're Going on a Bear Hunt'. Babies and toddlers learn how to climb steps and come down a slide safely. This helps children to strengthen their muscles and develop coordination.
• Staff initiate activities to spark children's imagination. Children relish the opportunities to explore the toy farm. The use of breakfast cereals for hay bales and straw adds another dimension to children's play. Older children search for play insects in the leaves, confidently using a range of investigative tools to identify them. This interesting range of activities ignites children's creativity and interests.
• Staff help children to learn to stay fit and well. They carefully guide discussions at lunchtime about healthy eating and oral health. Younger children concentrate intently as they attempt to clean the yellow stains off the model teeth. This helps children develop an understanding of good health and hygiene routines.
• Staff encourage children to be as independent as possible. Children learn to put on their coats and to see to their own toileting needs. They serve themselves at lunchtime. This helps children develop the skills for the next stage in their learning.
• Staff develop effective partnerships with parents, which has a positive impact on children's learning and development. Parents say staff are, 'kind', 'caring' and 'enthusiastic'. Staff support parents to create a range of activities that they can do at home with their children. This helps to further promote children's learning.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• strengthen the curriculum so that it is ambitious for all children and meets their needs.