Early Learning Academy Limited

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Leaders and staff wait at the door to warmly welcome children as they arrive at the nursery. Children bounce in excitedly and announce their arrival with a shout of their key person's name. They separate from their parents with ease as they put their arms out to staff, showing that they feel safe. Children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), are eager to play and learn at nursery with their friends and the nurturing staff. This is because leaders have created fascinating learning activities that children do not want to miss.

Children benefit from leaders' well-thought-out curriculum. For instance, in physical development, leaders provide specially designed sports activities to support older children's coordination, balance and spatial awareness. Children look forward to these learning opportunities and are keen to develop their skills. They develop a positive attitude about being healthy and active. Staff support babies' emerging creativity. They sing, play musical instruments and dance with children in response to music. Babies move their bodies in thorough enjoyment and learn to dance in time to the rhythms of different melodies.

Staff offer gentle encouragement to children about behaving sensibly. They support children's understanding of sharing and waiting for turns. For example, they help older children to be patient, such as by waiting for a sand timer to finish pouring. Over time, children develop the skill of patience and self-control.

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

• Leaders provide an exciting and meaningful curriculum that builds on children's previous learning. They know what they want children to learn by the time they leave each room and then for primary school. Children become articulate, confident and independent learners ready for the next stage of their education.
• Staff promote children's understanding of literacy through high-quality learning opportunities. From an early age, children learn important knowledge from books, such as that print has meaning. Older children eagerly practise making marks that sometimes represent storylines or letters of their names. Children hear and use language from books and they begin to write some of these words too.
• Staff create meaningful learning experiences to support children's knowledge of mathematics. For instance, they sing number rhymes to babies, so they hear the language of counting. Staff correct children's misconceptions gently, such as to accurately add numbers together. Children become keen, confident mathematicians.
• Leaders ensure that their policies for preventing the spread of infection are effective. For instance, staff help children to know to wash their hands after wiping their noses, using the toilet and before eating. Children learn to manage their own personal needs well.
• Staff skilfully implement the nursery's curriculum for personal development. They build secure relationships with children and get to know them well. Staff help children to talk with confidence about their feelings, using words such as 'calm', 'happy' and 'sad'. Children learn to recognise the facial expressions of others and manage their emotions well for their age.
• Staff support and encourage children to concentrate and be inquisitive. For example, when children find a small snail, they marvel at the detail of the snail's shell and body. Staff skilfully initiate discussion to provoke learning for the children about caring for living creatures. Children develop new knowledge and a thirst for learning even more.
• Working in partnership with parents is a strength of the nursery. Leaders and staff share important information with parents about children's progress. Staff provide parents with helpful support to enhance their children's learning at home. Leaders see parents as an important part of the nursery community.
• The manager ensures that staff improve their work, such as by them receiving feedback about the quality of their support for children's learning. Staff also benefit from accessing training, but the manager does not match these opportunities well to staff's needs. This limits staff from working with even greater skill and consistency.
• Leaders support the needs of children with SEND exceptionally well. They recognise and celebrate the uniqueness of every child. Leaders use the advice of external experts to ensure that children's needs are met. Staff plan high-quality learning experiences at just the right level. Children with SEND thrive and develop their individual abilities to the full.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• focus professional development for staff more precisely, so that all staff support high-quality learning consistently well.