Dream Catchers Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children arrive happy and are eager to come to nursery. Friendly and engaging staff greet families. Staff share information and build strong bonds with parents, carers and children. Leaders have developed an ambitious curriculum that is sequenced and appropriate for children of different ages and stages of development. Staff have a good understanding of the curriculum and what they want children to learn next. Babies spend time settling and building bonds. Staff share sign language, songs and rhymes to support children's communication and language. Toddlers embed their knowledge. They learn to take turns, and to listen and respond. Children practise new skills and develop their independence. For instance, staff encourage them to do things themselves, such as feeding themselves and washing their hands.

Children enjoy daily opportunities for outdoor play. Staff explain what is available to children so that they can make choices. Older children enjoy physical play as they climb and invent games. Children are kind to each other. They develop friendships and model companionship. Children demonstrate their imaginations as they make 'potions' with herbs and tea. Staff provide children with opportunities to return to activities to explore, repeat extend their learning. Staff model good language, share books and songs and engage children in real interactions. As a result, children feel valued and safe. They are confident communicators and make good progress.

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

• Staff are attentive and intuitive about children's needs. They create a calm and homely environment for babies. Staff find out information about babies from their parents. They get to know babies well and work together so that children settle well. Staff offer exceptional care. They sing affectionately to babies, share rhymes and stories and cuddle babies as they settle and rest. As a result, babies settle well, are inquisitive and happy as they develop confidence in this nurturing environment.
• Staff and leaders have developed a strong routine. Children take part in group sessions, such as at the start of the day and before lunch. However, on occasions, staff start group times before all children are settled or sitting comfortably and engaged. As a result, staff speak louder and interrupt the flow to remind children to listen. Also, at lunchtime, staff ask older children questions about the letters in their name. However, this means that some other are waiting unnecessarily. At these times, children are not fully engaged in their learning.
• Staff support children to develop their communication and language skills. For instance, they playfully invite children to smell the air and to speculate what might be for lunch. Children take it in turns to make suggestions, such as lasagne and bread. Staff skilfully differentiate their questions so that children are motivated and achieve.
• Staff sit with children as they enjoy healthy snacks and a home-cooked dinner. Children make choices and develop their independence, such as they learn to chop fruit for snacks and to serve themselves. Staff give specific praise to children, for example, about chopping fruit, so that they feel appreciated. Children delight in their achievements and explain that they have helped to prepare snack.
• Staff reflect the diversity of their community in the resources, activities and interactions that they share. Staff display photos of children and their families so that all children are represented. They provide books, stories and activities that represent people from a wide range of ethnicities, families and beliefs.
• Parents say that staff support their children, especially those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and food intolerances. For example, staff are trained to care for children's specific medical needs. Parents say that staff share information in daily conversations and daily information sheets for babies. They say that staff truly care about their children. Parents say that their children make excellent progress, especially in their communication and language.
• Leaders develop good relationships with other professionals to support children with SEND. They support smooth transitions with visits from local schools and activities. Staff read children stories about going to school, to help to prepare them for this transition.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• review whole-group sessions and routines, so that all children are settled and can fully engage in learning.