Ducklings Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are happy and settled at the nursery. Staff are welcoming and greet children with warmth and affection. Knowledgeable staff support children well and successfully identify and meet their individual needs. Staff are passionate about providing children with rich learning experiences in a relaxed and calm environment. Staff know children well and form strong and secure relationships with them. This helps to support children's emotional development.

Children are motivated and are keen to learn. Staff support them to persevere, embedding determination from a young age. For example, children focus carefully on adopting correct positions during a yoga session. Leaders and staff create a peaceful and calm atmosphere. They communicate respectfully with children, offering them choices and acknowledging their feelings. As a result, children's behaviour is very good and they play well with others.

Staff plan the nursery environment thoughtfully to support children's learning and development. Children have lots of opportunities to engage in independent play and to explore the world around them. For example, children enjoy exploring the sensory panel in the garden. They watch with wonder as they make water splashes by dropping small balls into a tray of water. Staff make good use of indoor and outdoor play spaces so that children are engaged in meaningful, interesting and exciting play throughout the day.

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

• Leaders are clear about the aims for children's learning. They plan and implement a well-structured curriculum, which helps children to develop and learn effectively. Leaders and staff successfully highlight areas of the provision they want to improve for children. For example, a recent focus on outdoor learning means that staff have significantly broadened the opportunities for children in this area. This enhances children's experiences.
• The experienced and strong leadership team supports staff's well-being and professional development effectively. Leaders provide comprehensive support for their team through regular meetings and an extensive range of training opportunities. A dedicated well-being officer is also available for staff to discuss concerns confidentially if needed. This has a beneficial impact on staff and, as a result, children's experiences.
• Staff help children to learn about managing risk. They talk with children about being safe. For example, staff talk about road safety with children as they walk together to the nursery allotment nearby. Staff show children how to look both ways at the crossing. Children know to wait for the green figure to light up and the beeps to sound before they can cross the road. They learn different ways to help keep themselves safe.
• Staff support all children to make good progress from their individual starting points. They identify gaps in learning promptly and act swiftly when children need additional support. Leaders and staff work closely with parents and other professionals to make sure all children's needs are met well.
• Staff support children's learning and spark new interests through their play. They introduce new and interesting activities throughout the day. For example, children become engrossed in a planned planting activity. They excitedly fill their individual pots to the top with compost and press the seeds in with care and determination. Children are motivated to learn and explore.
• Children's communication and language development is of high priority. Staff and children sing nursery rhymes together often. They look at favourite and familiar books together. Early intervention strategies help staff to identify language concerns quickly. They plan specific activities that support children's communication development well.
• Staff's interactions with children are positive and support their learning. Staff join in with and comment on children's play and plan exciting activities for them. However, staff do not always use their skills to help children make the most of all opportunities for learning. For instance, staff do not always introduce a wide range of vocabulary, including words related to mathematics, to help children to make even better progress.
• Staff give parents plenty of information about their children's well-being and about their day. Parents comment that their children love coming to nursery. Staff foster strong partnerships with parents. They use an online platform to support effective communication. Parents feel informed about their children's progress and experiences. This promotes consistency of care and learning for children.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• develop staff's knowledge and understanding of how to make the most of every opportunity to further enhance children's learning and help them to make even better progress.