Earlystarts Childcare

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children benefit from the caring and calm atmosphere. Staff greet families in a friendly manner, taking time to listen and exchange relevant information. This helps children to feel safe and secure from the moment they enter the nursery. During play, children make use of the well-organised and good variety of resources. Children are exposed to fun activities and explore a wide range of vocabulary. They are learning to use a breadth of words to explain their play or thinking.

Children are forging good relationships with each other; they behave well and follow clear boundaries. Staff have a strong focus on supporting children's social and emotional well-being. For example, children develop confidence during activities and discussions about their feelings linked to the story of the 'Colour Monster'. Staff give children gentle reminders of the rules and fully explain the impact of any unwanted actions. For example, when younger children are transferring sand to the water tray, staff explain not to throw the sand, as it might hurt their eyes or those of their friends. This helps to give children a secure understanding of how to behave and the reason why.

All children relish the opportunities offered to explore the different textures of sand, water, gloop, and dough. They focus intently during the many opportunities they have for messy play. In addition, children benefit from additional activities, such as 'Diddy Dance', woodland walks or use of the on-site school hall and library. This helps to develop their physical and language skills.

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

• Leaders have worked hard to ensure that improvements have been made to the nursery since the last inspection, particularly regarding the implementation of risk assessments. For instance, all areas are secure to prevent any unauthorised entry. This helps to keep children safe.
• Leaders are passionate about making continual improvements and progress within the nursery. They accurately assess any weaknesses and swiftly put plans in place to make improvements. For example, they have plans to further improve children's curiosity and learning outside. The manager provides staff with ongoing supervisions, mentoring and coaching to help build on their current skills. Staff feel well supported and have regular discussions about their key children and their roles and responsibilities.
• Leaders and staff have developed a clear curriculum intent, which is threaded throughout the rooms. Staff know all the children well and place great emphasis on getting to know their individual personalities. Staff use their observations, assessments and what they know about children's interests to organise the resources and plan the activities. However, at times, staff in the toddler room do not organise the daily routine effectively to consistently meet the children's needs. As a result, when they are tired, children fall asleep on the laps of staff.
• The nursery is fully inclusive and welcomes all children. Children who are learning to speak English as an additional language are supported well. However, staff do not fully consider all possible strategies to ensure that help is sought without delay when they have identified gaps in a child's learning or development, including children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), to support children to achieve the best possible outcomes.
• Staff support children to develop their communication from a young age. They repeat simple key words and encourage younger children to copy new animal sounds and noises. Staff help all children to develop a love of books. For example, staff have organised a lending library, where children can select books to take home and share with their families. Children enjoy listening to stories and join in with familiar songs and rhymes. This supports their early literacy and communication and language skills well.
• Staff promote children's physical skills well. Babies have plenty of opportunities to practise their walking skills as they cruise around furniture, crawl through tunnels or negotiate steps. They enjoy building their gross motor skills as they climb on various soft-play shapes. Pre-school children and toddlers enjoy manipulating dough or making shapes in flour. They develop confidence in using various tools and equipment in their play, such as tweezers or shape cutters. This helps to develop the muscles in their hands needed to successfully hold and control a pencil.
• Parents and carers are positive about the care, education and support that children receive from staff and leaders at the setting. Staff share information and photos with parents about what activities their children enjoy doing in the nursery. Parents say that communication is good, and this helps them to support children at home.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• review the daily lunchtime routine in the toddler room, ensuring that staff consistently meet the children's needs, particularly when children show signs of being tired
• strengthen arrangements to identify and support children with particular needs, such as those who need additional support or those with SEND, in line with the SEND code of practice, to ensure that children achieve the best possible outcomes.