Dinky Ducks Nursery and Pre - School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children come into the setting happily. They are warmly greeted by the kind and caring staff. Children behave well at nursery and staff have high expectations for their behaviour. Staff model to children how to solve minor conflicts and support them to do this independently. Children are challenged in their physical development. For example, very young children climb up and down a climbing frame with great delight. Older children enjoy creating their own obstacle courses and challenge themselves to jump as high as they can off the cable reel while being supported by staff. Staff develop children's knowledge of the world around them. For example, children learn about the coronation, as they take part in a 'crowns and tiaras' day. They enjoy having their face painted, creating red, white and blue pictures as well as talking about the King and Queen.

It is important to staff that children develop their independence skills. It is an embedded part of daily practice and children develop skills from a very early age. For example, very young children begin to learn how to wash their hands using the hand-over-hand method. This then progresses to children doing this for themselves as they develop confidence. Children also learn how to wipe their own noses, dispose of the tissue and wash their hands afterwards.

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

• There is a curriculum in place that is ambitious and builds on what children know as they progress through the nursery. However, staff's understanding of the curriculum needs strengthening, to ensure that it is focused enough and that staff understand the overall aims for learning fully.
• Children make good progress, in particular children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Staff swiftly act to ensure intervention groups are in place to support children with SEND to help close the gaps in development. For example, children take part in 'bucket time', where staff skilfully capture their attention as they observe different sensory toys.
• Older children's language is well supported with intervention programmes in place. For example, staff run a listening and attention group regularly for children. However, this support is inconsistent for the very youngest children. Although children hear new words and are encouraged to babble the majority of the time, there are times when they do not hear sufficient language. This impacts on the progress very young children make with their language skills.
• Staff feel their well-being is supported well and that they can always approach management if needed. Managers take the time to ensure that staff who need support have the opportunity to speak with themselves as often as they need.
• Staff regularly undertake training that will benefit the children in their care. For example, they are developing their support for military families, having attended a 'military matters' training. From this staff have introduced things, such as a map to show where parents are and pictures of children's parents in uniform available in the setting.
• There are strong parent partnerships in place. Staff ensure they offer support to parents through a variety of ways. For example, key persons have regular meeting with parents. They signpost parents to relevant groups, as well as share updates and ideas online, for example through online learning journals.
• Parents speak highly of the setting. They comment on the kind and caring staff. Parents feel that staff really know their child and help them make good progress in their learning. They comment on the good communication between themselves and staff.
• Staff model their expectations for children's behaviour. This helps children to see the behaviours that are expected of them, such as being courteous to one another and validating each other's feelings.
• Children who speak English as additional language make good progress. They are supported well by staff. Staff ensure that children can recognise themselves within the resources available to them. For example, staff encourage children and families to bring in items they would usually find in their homes to be part of the home corner at nursery, such as familiar food packaging. Staff also encourage children to use their home languages, and staff learn familiar words themselves.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• strengthen staff's understanding of the curriculum to ensure that it is precise and that they understand the overall aims for learning
• develop interactions further to build on very young children's emerging language skills.