Dobwalls School Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are happy and secure in this nursery, where staff build strong relationships with them. Staff recognise the positive impact these relationships have on children's development. Children eagerly ask staff to play with them and enjoy spending time with them. For example, staff help children pretend to shower toy babies. Children happily sit on staff members' laps as they listen to them read stories. Children are well prepared for their next stage of learning. Pre-school children develop skills required for school, such as learning in a group and listening to others' opinions. Staff guide them to explore the names of the days of the week. They support children to recognise letter sounds such as 'c', which they discuss is the starting sound from the word 'cow'. Teachers from the school next door visit the pre-school children, building their knowledge of phonics and their confidence and getting to know the adults they will meet when they eventually go to school. All children make good progress in their learning and development.

Staff guide children to develop a love of numbers and confidence in mathematics. Toddlers count up to eight. Staff support children to understand routines, using songs and rhymes to help them remember what will happen next. For example, they sing a 'snack song' before children enjoy a healthy snack of fruit and vegetables.

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

• The curriculum places a strong emphasis on developing children's communication skills. Staff engage in meaningful conversations with children, allowing them time to think and respond. They teach children a broad vocabulary, including some Cornish words. To encourage children to build their knowledge, staff develop conversations. During snack times, staff guide children to think about the origin of milk. They extend the discussion, linking it to the song they sang earlier, 'Old McDonald', and then discuss how dairy farms work, developing an awareness of cows and milking.
• The curriculum has a good focus on developing children's understanding of nature. Staff support children as they explore insects and plants during a nature walk, looking to see if they can find insects in the soil. They also read books to children about the Antarctic and its few inhabitants. However, in a linked activity, staff encourage children to play with toy creatures, telling them that these creatures, including sea turtles and polar bears, live in the Antarctic. This is incorrect information, which will likely confuse children as they gain more knowledge and understanding.
• Staff guide children to develop a love of stories, helping them understand things beyond their immediate experience. Children listen to stories about farms and sharing with others. The nursery lends books to parents, extending reading into children's homes. However, leaders fail to extend opportunities for children to understand and celebrate people's similarities and differences, and to learn more about different religions and cultures.
• Behaviour is good. Children are kind to each other, share and take turns. However, at times, children find it difficult to express their frustrations and sometimes say unkind things to their friends. In these situations, staff often divert children's attention and do not guide children to understand their behaviour and how it impacts others.
• Staff guide children to develop their personal hygiene skills, for example by supporting them to wash their own hands and wipe their noses. Children confidently ask staff for help, such as when removing an art apron with difficult fasteners. Afterwards, they hang it up, developing independence and confidence. Staff encourage parents to provide healthy lunches, promoting healthy eating habits in children.
• Parents comment that children are happy and love going to the nursery. They report that children make good progress in their communication skills and in their confidence. Parents feel they are kept up to date with what children are doing.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• ensure staff teach children with information that is factually correct
• extend the curriculum to explore and celebrate other cultures and religions further and help children understand people's similarities and differences
• develop behaviour management strategies further to support children to understand how their behaviour impacts on others.