Dream Catchers Play House

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Staff welcome children into this safe and nurturing environment. They make sure children are happy and support them to settle. For example, staff welcome young children with bubbles and sing while having cuddles. Children have strong bonds with their key person. Older children confidently enter the nursery and look forward to their day. They independently self-register themselves and put their belongings away. All children are happy to be attending this nursery.

Children behave well overall, particularly during large group times. Staff gain their attention well and keep them focused. Children follow routines and understand the structures of the day. For example, staff lead a 'wake and shake' session followed by circle time. They enthusiastically join in with songs and actions. Staff ask children questions which they answer with ease. Children have good listening and attention skills.

The managers have created their curriculum based around the seven areas of development and children's interests. Staff plan topics that children are interested in, such as dinosaurs and countries around the world. Within this, they implement activities to support children's individual learning and development needs. This makes a significant impact on children's development. Staff then challenge their learning further. For example, children have been learning how to recognise and write letters and numbers.

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

• Staff feel extremely supported by their management team. They meet regularly to discuss their well-being and how they can support them in their role. Managers reflect on staff's practice and provide support. They make regular changes to the environment to benefit the children's experiences. For instance, one room has been recently changed into a messy room to support children's creativity skills. Staff undergo relevant training to keep their knowledge up to date.
• Staff promote communication and language development through a range of approaches. They teach the children nursery rhymes and discuss rhyming words. For example, children know that 'cat', 'rat' and 'hat' rhyme. Staff model rich language and ask children questions to further their knowledge. Children show good understanding skills and respond instantly. From babies to preschool, they sing the same welcome song and days of the week song. Through constant repetition children learn the language in the songs. Children communicate well with their peers and adults.
• Children have many opportunities to extend their physical development. Outside they climb, balance and move in a range of different ways on large equipment.
• Children do this with ease and confidence, demonstrating they are happy to take risks. Staff also provide opportunities for children to develop their fine motor skills. For instance, older children manipulate play dough using a range of one-handed tools, while younger children push vehicles along tracks and through shaving foam. Children move confidently and show strength in their hands.
• Children have a positive attitude towards their learning and look after the equipment provided. Staff mostly support children well to remember the 'golden rules', but at times this is not consistent. For example, staff do not always support children to practise good manners, such as saying 'please' and 'thank you'. On occasion, therefore, children do not consistently show respect towards others.
• Staff support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and children with English as an additional language well. They use their knowledge and experience to help identify children's needs. Staff work together to plan small achievable targets for these children. The nursery provides support for families from disadvantaged backgrounds. Staff use funding to support those children's needs. For example, managers buy uniform and cover transport costs. All children are making good progress in their learning and development.
• Staff promote a love for reading. They provide a library of books that children can take home with them. Children look at books carefully and ask their adults to read them. Every day they get a choice on what book they would like to hear for group time. Staff encourage children to voice their choice and to listen to others. This teaches children about British values.
• Staff incorporate maths in every part of their learning. They encourage children to count regularly, problem solve and even estimate. For example, staff ask the children to estimate how many children there are all together. They then count the number of children, one at a time. Staff ask the children if that is more or less than ten. Children have good knowledge of mathematical concepts.
• Staff communicate with parents well. Parents are aware of where their child is in their development and what they could do at home to support this. Staff provide parents with a lot of information when their child begins to support the settling in process. The nursery also works with the local school to ensure school readiness for the children. Partnerships with parents and schools are strong.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support staff to more consistently help children develop good manners and demonstrate high levels of respect for others.