Early Learners Nursery Ltd

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children enter this warm and welcoming nursery happily. They are pleased to see their friends and are quickly engaged in their play. Children are motivated to learn and show curiosity as they explore activities. Babies thoroughly enjoy sitting with staff as they explore books. Pre-school children are enthralled as they recreate a favourite story, eagerly waiting for the part about the flamingo. Children feel safe here. This is because of the positive relationships that they build with the staff. Younger children giggle in delight as they find the ants in the garden. Staff talk to the children about what the ants are doing and where they may be going. Babies go to staff for comfort when they are unsettled by new people in their room. Children are keen to explore the environment.

Children learn to be independent from a young age. Older children put on their coats, see to their own toileting needs and help to tidy away. This helps them to prepare for the next stage in their learning. Children behave well. They learn to share their resources and take turns. Children are supportive of one another. They encourage their friends to complete difficult tasks. For example, children enthusiastically support their friends as they attempt to walk across the balancing beam. Children cheer in delight when they succeed. Consequently, children develop a positive sense of self and have confidence in their own abilities.

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

• The setting is led by a knowledgeable and committed manager. There have been some staffing changes in recent months and the new team is coming together well. The manager is aware of the strengths of the setting and the areas for development. She has encouraged staff to come together to share good practice and ideas, which supports the children's learning.
• Staff follow a curriculum that helps children to make consistent progress. Older children enjoy a wealth of interesting and enjoyable activities that support their critical thinking, creativity and problem-solving skills. However, staff are less clear about what the youngest children need to learn next and how. Consequently, they do not always use what they know about children to build on their learning to the highest level.
• Overall, the curriculum for communication and language is effective. Children are supported to build and use a wide vocabulary. They learn words such as 'peck,' 'swoop' and 'flap' as they describe what the birds are doing in the story. However, staff are less effective in engaging in quality interactions with children to support good development in other areas of communication. For example, staff often guide children through the routine of the day with little explanation or narrative to encourage back-and-forth interactions and conversations. As a result, children do not consistently learn new language structures.
• Children enjoy learning experiences outdoors. They spend time watching insects in the garden and talking about what they are doing. They develop good coordination and balance as they learn to negotiate the slides and climbing frame. Pre-school children gain speed on wheeled toys, carefully navigating around their friends. Babies develop confidence to crawl and pull themselves up on furniture. This helps them to develop the strength and muscles to walk unaided.
• Children use mathematical language well as they play. Pre-school children are confident to count to five and beyond and recognise a wealth of shapes and numbers in the environment. Staff use counting songs well to introduce younger children to numbers and counting. Consequently, children learn about a range of early mathematical concepts.
• Children learn about good health and hygiene routines through everyday activities. They understand the importance of washing their hands after going to the toilet and before mealtimes. Children confidently explain why they need to wear sun cream and hats on hot days and the importance of having lots of drinks. This helps children to stay fit and well.
• Support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) is carefully considered. Staff work closely with parents and professionals to ensure that children receive continuous support and guidance. This helps children to reach their full potential.
• Leaders value parents' contributions and apply a collaborative approach to children's care and learning. There is an effective two-way flow of communication between staff and parents, ensuring continuity for children. Parents are very complimentary about the care and support provided for their children. They comment on the 'amazing progress' children are making and on the 'fabulous staff'.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support staff to understand fully how to embed the curriculum for the youngest children so that every child is provided with high-quality learning experiences
• strengthen staff's understanding of how to support the youngest children's communication and language development consistently through high-quality interactions.