Dream Big Little One

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are happy, safe and content at this welcoming nursery. Children are greeted at the door by friendly managers and staff. They eagerly explore the environment and engage in play as soon as they arrive. Settling-in sessions are adapted to meet the needs of all children, including those who speak English as an additional language and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Children develop good relationships with their key person. For example, during play situations, children look to their key person for reassurance and guidance. This supports children with their emotional well-being and self-esteem.

Pre-school children are keen to join in sessions to support mindfulness. This helps children to self-regulate. Children are confident to discuss the programme on how the brain works. One child says, 'this is the hippocampus'. Children talk about the signals in the brain and which parts make good choices. This supports children to understand their bodies.

Children develop good levels of independence from a young age at the nursery. For example, all children learn the importance of good hygiene by washing their hands before meals. Older children model this to the younger children. Children help pour their own drinks throughout the day and make choices. Pre-school children are encouraged to self-serve their meals and clean away their empty plates. This helps children to develop a sense of responsibility.

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

• The curriculum covers most of the areas of learning and is well sequenced. Children are encouraged to build on what they already know and make links with previous learning. For example, children can recall taking part in a community event making links to the Queen's Jubilee. However, staff do not always support younger children with their early mathematical development to the highest standard. Therefore, children do not always develop their mathematical knowledge through their play.
• Children are praised for positive behaviour and encouraged to be kind and share with their friends. They are given roles in the pre-school room, such as setting the table for lunch. This gives children a sense of pride in their environment, which contributes to positive attitudes.
• The quality of teaching is good. Staff provide children with a range of exciting and interesting opportunities to develop their curiosity for learning. For example, children enjoy identifying bugs using the magnifying glasses. Staff encourage the children to use the check lists while investigating the bugs in the garden.
• Staff help children develop their small-muscle skills. For example, babies enjoy popping bubbles with their fingers and staff encourage them to say 'pop, pop'.
• Toddlers concentrate when taking part in dough-disco sessions as part of their daily routine. The children enjoy manipulating the dough to the music following instructions from their key person. The pre-school children have a range of mark-making opportunities, indoors and outdoors. This helps children to develop the strength in their muscles for early writing.
• Leaders place a high priority on staff well-being. Staff comment that they are happy at work and feel well supported. Staff benefit from regular supervision meetings. This helps them to build on their skills to further enhance children's experiences.
• Parents speak highly about the care and education the nursery provides their children. They talk about how 'incredible staff support their children needs.' Parents receive regular feedback on their children's progress and benefit from home-learning activities to further their children's learning and development. Feedback is 'consistent and informative'. Parents are kept up to date with their children's learning and development.
• Staff are good role models for children. They encourage children to talk about their feelings, which helps to promote personal and emotional development. Older children know and understand the nursery rules. Staff offer clear and consistent reminders to help children learn the expectations and boundaries. For example, staff remind children not to run indoors to avoid causing an accident.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• increase opportunities to develop mathematical language and concepts through routines and play.