Dimension Childcare

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are cared for at this nursery where the overarching aim is for children to be happy and make good progress. Staff create a friendly and warm atmosphere and greet children with an enthusiastic welcome each morning. They have high expectations of children and have worked together to devise a curriculum that focuses on children's interests and building on their knowledge. Because all the staff have a shared knowledge of the curriculum, they are able to support children regardless of the room in which they are based.

Children are confident and demonstrate they feel safe and secure. Babies gain a sense of belonging as staff sing good morning to each child. Babies recognise themselves in photos and regularly snuggle up to the staff for cuddles. Toddlers also enjoy looking at photos of their families. They learn about each other's home lives and about their similarities and differences. Pre-school children confidently express their views and opinions to staff. When they have minor disagreements over resources, staff gently explain the importance of taking turns. All children enjoy regular opportunities to play outside. They have use of large-scale play equipment to develop their gross motor skills and enjoy taking part in yoga. Toddlers learn how to bend and stretch and pre-schoolers have fun with 'dinosaur' yoga.

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

• Teamwork among staff is strong. They have a shared vision of what they want each child to learn before they move on to the next room or to school. The staff communicate well with each other, so that if one room feels a particular focus is needed, staff in other rooms will support this before children move up. Staff also form effective partnerships with local schools that children will attend. They help prepare children well for school, using activities such as the 'tray challenge' where children learn to carry items on a tray. Additional funding is used well to support the individual needs of children effectively.
• The leadership team puts a high emphasis on staff well-being. Staff benefit from regular training, which continually supports their practice. Positive practice is acknowledged by way of a staff recognition board and staff say they feel happy and well supported.
• Staff's support for children's communication and language development is strong, with simple sign language being introduced in the baby room. This is continued in the toddler room and then extended in the pre-school room, where staff also plan activities such as 'bucket time' to further promote children's language skills. On occasion, however, staff do not make the most of their interactions with children to extend children's learning. For example, when some children comment that they do not know how to build a castle, staff do not think about how they could find out.
• The curriculum for literacy is well sequenced throughout the nursery. For example, staff frequently read stories to children. Children have free access to a wide range of books and magazines alongside most activities and have regular opportunities to make marks using different materials. This helps to develop children's creativity and literacy from an early age.
• Partnerships with parents are good. Parents speak positively about how the staff really get to know their children. They are happy with the communication strategies that the staff and managers use to inform them about their children's learning and development. Parents are often invited to contribute to polls, where they are asked about their children's general life experiences, such as whether they go to the park or supermarket. This then helps the staff to plan activities accordingly and enhance children's cultural capital.
• In general, outdoor play consists of stimulating learning experiences, which children eagerly engage with. All children have visits to the newly established allotment and each room has their own outdoor area. Babies enjoy a large grassy space and pre-school children grow their own tomato plants. Although the toddler room children can access the pre-school area at times, the natural environment is not as well considered in the toddler garden and some activities outside are not as well resourced as inside.
• All children make good progress in their self-care skills. Staff support children in becoming independent. They are positive role models and teach children to use good manners, share and take turns.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support staff to further develop their good interactions with children so that they make the most of opportunities to extend children's learning
• consider how the outdoor curriculum for toddlers can be planned and sequenced more coherently to extend their learning further and support those who prefer to play in the natural environment.