Earlswood Early Years

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Staff are very nurturing and caring in their approach towards children. They use a range of techniques to try and settle children when they become unsettled. This works well, especially for children who are new to the setting or when babies wake up from their 'nap time'. Consequently, children form strong bonds with the staff who care for them. Babies have lots of space to practise their physical skills, such as crawling, walking or taking steps. They concentrate as they negotiate the space around them. Staff ask children open questions to support their critical thinking skills, such as asking 'how can we fix it?' when building blocks come out of place. Children show lots of resilience as they attempt to build with the blocks.

Children explain they like to come to nursery to play with their friends. Staff provide a range of experiences for the children that are based on their interests and next steps. This works well and supports all children to make continued progress in their development. Children of all ages are given space and time to develop their independence skills. For example, staff encourage babies and younger children to assist during care routines. They delegate tasks for older children at tidy-up time. For example, children hold open the bag while other children collect resources to put them away. Older children also learn how to set up and clean up after mealtimes.

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

• Leaders have put in place effective methods that help them monitor the overall quality of the nursery. They use the feedback from others alongside their own observations to develop a clear self-evaluation plan. This helps leaders to identify where further improvements could be made.
• Leaders have improved their knowledge of what is reportable to Ofsted. They have also taken steps to implement effective procedures for keeping children safe. All staff and leaders now demonstrate a secure understanding of local procedures to follow for safeguarding.
• Leaders monitor staff well-being and performance through effective supervision processes. They have taken steps to improve the training opportunities on offer for all staff. This has helped to improve staff's knowledge of child development and their confidence and skills of working with children. Staff explain they feel supported in their roles and are able to discuss their concerns.
• Leaders have developed a curriculum that is sequenced to build on children's knowledge over time. However, there is scope for leaders to continue to build on the consistency of teaching and learning children receive across the whole nursery. For example, there are times when staff capture children's interest well and support them to extend their knowledge. However, there are also occasions when some staff do not think carefully enough about the specific skills they want children to learn as they access activities, or when some staff do not support children to re-engage effectively.
• Leaders place focus on supporting children's communication and language development. Staff model language well. They ask children lots of open-ended questions. Staff check children's understanding of new words.
• Staff engage in lots of discussions with parents, particularly when their children first start the nursery or when there are updates to children's individual needs. This helps staff to gain key information about each child and helps to ensure that the care children receive is tailored to their needs. Parents appreciate the regular updates from staff regarding their child's learning.
• Leaders work very closely with other professionals. They gather and share key information about the children's needs. Leaders share this information with staff and use the information to update children's plans. This helps to ensure that children with special educational needs and/or disabilities or children with complex needs receive the specialist help and intervention they require.
• Staff who work with older children manage their behaviours well. They support them to develop an understanding of boundaries and encourage them to take turns and share. However, there are times when younger children display some 'undesired' behaviours. During this time, staff who work with them do not support them effectively to manage their emotions or support them to understand the impact of their actions on others, which is part of the nursery's curriculum.
• Staff notice and respond immediately to children when they require changing or if their clothes become wet. They support children to clean their hands and faces before and after meals. Children are provided with a range of balanced meals that they enjoy. This helps children to learn how to stay healthy and clean.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• raise the consistency of teaching and learning children receive across the whole setting, to ensure all children make the best possible progress in their development and receive the full support they require from staff
• strengthen further the strategies used to manage younger children's behaviour to help them to understand the boundaries in place.