Dragonfly Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are extremely secure and happy in this warm and welcoming nursery. Managers place a priority on children's and staff's well-being, as they recognise the impact this has on each child's potential development. Children feel safe and secure. For instance, they receive lots of reassurance and cuddles, when needed. Staff rock babies in their arms and soothingly talk to them. As a result, children develop good bonds with the attentive staff. Staff skilfully encourage children's individual characters and demonstrate that they know them very well. Children enjoy taking home a nursery bear at the weekend. They delight in sharing the bear's adventures while staying in their home.

Children behave exceptionally well at this nursery. Staff demonstrate a deep respect for children throughout the setting. This is evident in the positive interactions between staff and children. Staff seek children's consent before attending to their needs. For example, they ask children before attending to their intimate care. This means children learn that they have a sense of ownership over their own bodies. Children have an excellent understanding of the nursery's rules and can often be heard reminding each other of them. They are polite and help each other. For example, older children help younger children to put on their coats. Parents report that they are extremely happy with the care their children receive. They comment that their children are very happy and 'want to come to nursery at the weekend'.

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

• The manager and her team have high expectations for all children, who benefit greatly from the ambitious curriculum. As a result, children are highly motivated, confident and keen to join in. For example, toddlers show good concentration and coordination skills when they apply stickers onto elephants to create the characters from their favourite book. Older children are busy learners and show good levels of independence. For example, they help themselves to resources, such as paints, pom-poms and glitter, to decorate presents in the garden.
• Staff plan an excellent range of experiences for children to learn about the world around them. Children enjoy a broad range of outings to help them to learn about communities beyond their own. This successfully provides meaningful experiences for children. For example, children enjoyed playing in a pretend train station in the role-play area following a recent nursery trip to Greenwich on the train. This helps children to further build on their experiences.
• Staff are skilful in introducing new vocabulary to develop children's speech and language. They put additional activities in place to enhance children's speech and language, particularly for those children whose development was impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Staff also support parents to further promote children's developing language skills. Children confidently talk about what they know. For example, they explain how the customers need money to buy things in the role-play winter wonderland shop. They articulate what they can buy and how much it will cost.
• Staff are very attentive to children's care needs. For instance, babies have their nappies changed in a sensitive and dignified way. Staff sing to babies and play peekaboo as they attend to their care needs. Older children become independent in their personal needs. For example, children know to visit the sniffle station to clean their runny noses and know to wash their hands afterwards. The nursery provides children with a healthy varied nutritious menu. Children have plenty of opportunities to be physically active in the large outdoor area.
• Teaching across the nursery is strong. Staff skilfully plan activities, which are age-appropriate and challenging for children. For example, babies have fun exploring sensory resources, such as dough and paint. Older children are engrossed and listen intently to a story.
• Staff are valued and given plenty of support in their role. Managers recognise that some staff would benefit from further monitoring, coaching and support to help them to develop their knowledge and skills.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• enhance the arrangements for monitoring and coaching staff to extend their skills and knowledge to the highest level.