East Leake Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children have positive relationships with staff. Babies lay calmly when staff hold them in their arms and stroke their cheek to provide comfort. Younger children cuddle into staff and sit on their knee to listen to stories. Children laugh and giggle with staff when they play a game of 'peek-a-boo'.

Staff offer children a wide range of activities in the nursery to support their development. The nursery is on a farm. Staff take children to see different animals, such as deer, donkeys and sheep. Children learn what foods the animals eat and how to care for them. Staff plan experiences to help children develop their knowledge of nature and wildlife. Children are keen to engage in forest school sessions in woodland. They are excited to tell staff about birds they recognise and have opportunities to build houses for insects. Children confidently talk about their knowledge of animals that hibernate, such as hedgehogs. Staff extend children's knowledge further and talk to them about animals that migrate. Children demonstrate a good understanding of how to behave in the woodland and how to keep themselves safe. For instance, they say, 'They need to look after their friends and not to bang into any trees'.

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

• The management team supports staff through appraisals and one-to-one meetings. Staff reflect on their practice and receive relevant training. This training has helped staff to engage children and support literacy skills. For example, staff invite children to vote for which book they would like to listen to. Staff stop before finishing a sentence, letting older children join in with repeated phrases.
• Leaders use experienced staff to provide weekly musical activities. They build children's excitement when they use different tones in their voice to engage and maintain children's attention. Children sit well and listen. Younger children are creative. They tap their feet to the rhythm when staff play a guitar. Children make different movements with their arms when they pretend to be animals. However, occasionally, some staff do not plan and manage group activities well enough. For example, less-confident children are not always fully supported to join in and answer questions. This results in some children not being able to contribute.
• Staff support children who speak English as an additional language well. They ensure that these children have a sense of belonging in the nursery and can understand staff's instructions. For example, staff find out key words in the child's home language and use these, as well as pictures, to communicate with children.
• Staff work very closely with parents to support children's development. For example, they regularly find out what parents want their children to learn next. Staff hold discussions with them about how they can both support children's learning. Parents comment positively about the staff. They say that they keep them informed about what children do every day.
• Staff support children to be emotionally ready for changes they face. For example, when they first start at the nursery, they attend settling-in sessions. This helps children to become familiar with staff and the environment before they spend long periods of time away from their parents.
• Staff support children to develop skills for future learning. They use their knowledge of children to support their communication and language skills, such as their early speaking skills and understanding. For instance, when babies and very young children play with objects, such as a toy duck, staff name the object. Staff sing songs and nursery rhymes about ducks.
• The manager has not shared how to promote two-year-old children's independence consistently with staff. For example, the manager wants staff to encourage children's independence during daily routines, such as mealtimes. However, staff are not always doing this in practice.
• Staff encourage children to behave well. They are good role models, for example they use good manners themselves. Children are polite and say 'thank you' when they receive objects from others.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• strengthen staff's planning of group times to meet the needs of all children who take part, especially those who are less confident
• improve staff's understanding of how to help two-year-old children to develop their independence, for example at mealtimes.