EarlyBirds Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children settle well into the friendly and caring environment of the nursery. The family atmosphere positively contributes to helping children build strong relationships with the staff team. Children are happy and confident as they explore their surroundings. They independently read books, post letters in the 'post office' and skilfully use technological toys.

The manager works closely with the staff team to set clear learning intentions based on children's starting points and needs. Staff have clear expectations for all children to have equal access to the curriculum, and they adjust environments and activities to ensure that this happens. Individual adjustments ensure that children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who require additional support are not disadvantaged. Therefore, all children make good progress from their starting points.

Staff have clear expectations about behaviour and consistently support children to learn to work together, take turns and use manners. Children behave well. Staff support all children to learn the names of their peers, and this positively contributes to the good relationships children build with one another. For example, children choose to sit next to friends at mealtimes and independently check to ensure that their friends have everything they need.

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

• The manager promotes a strong team ethos. Staff feel well supported by the manager and one another. For example, they enjoy monthly treats from the well-being basket and benefit from opportunities to discuss concerns or difficulties on a regular basis. This positively contributes to how well the team work together to meet children's needs.
• Staff use many good explanations and demonstrations to help children master new skills. For example, they show children how to hold knives correctly and then use a 'sawing' motion to cut up their fruit and vegetables. However, this is not always consistently applied, and occasionally staff do not make the most of opportunities to extend children's learning. For example, when they hand out individual pieces of fruit to children or spread butter on crackers.
• Children know the daily routines well, and staff use 'now and next' boards to help all children successfully manage transitions. However, organisation of routines is not always used effectively to keep children actively learning as part of the curriculum. For example, children spend a long time queueing and waiting to take turns to go to the toilet or wash their hands.
• Staff work closely with parents and external agencies to ensure that they meet the needs of all children, including children with SEND. The on-site special educational needs coordinator (SENCo) liaises closely with the staff team to ensure that individual educational plans are consistently implemented. This helps all children to make clear progress from their starting points.
• The setting has good partnerships in place with parents, who praise the quality of the setting. Staff work very closely with families from the beginning, and parents state that they feel well supported. Staff make contact with other settings that children attend so that children can benefit from a continuous approach to their care and learning needs.
• Staff are kind and respectful in their interactions with the children. They ask children before changing their nappies or wiping their noses. Consequently, children feel valued and consulted. Staff provide good support for children's emotional needs and carefully scaffold this to help all children become more resilient and capable of managing their own emotions. For example, staff work closely with babies who find separation difficult to provide cuddles and reassurance and then help them to slowly work towards sitting next to a key person rather than on their lap.
• Staff place a clear focus on promoting early communication skills, which benefits the children. Babies clearly enjoy the back-and-forth interactions as staff mirror their babbling sounds to support their sensory exploration. Staff weave new language into daily activities, and children show increasing understanding and use of these. For example, following an activity using ice, staff ask questions to help children recall words such as frozen and melted. Children listen carefully and show good levels of concentration.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• further strengthen staff's teaching skills to enable them to consistently extend children's knowledge and skills
• review the organisation of routine activities so that children are consistently engaged in meaningful learning experiences.