Ecole Cadet Rouselle

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children flourish in this outstanding setting. Staff are passionate and motivated to deliver a well-thought-out and purposeful curriculum. This high-quality curriculum incorporates children's individual interests and identified learning goals. This has a great impact on all children and the excellent progress they make. Staff plan exciting activities and experiences based on the current topics and themes. Children show a keen interest in these activities and are proud of what they have learned. For example, children enthusiastically talk to the inspector about where the Moon and Venus are in space.

Staff are incredibly nurturing, considerate and are fantastic role models. They offer children encouragement and praise, while also giving them the time and space to do things for themselves. Staff deeply embed the routine and transitions to different activities seamlessly throughout the day. Children's behaviour is exemplary. They care deeply for their friends and staff. The atmosphere throughout the setting is one of genuine respect and kindness.

Staff plan countless opportunities for children to learn about the world around them. For example, they provide trips to art galleries, theatre shows and the local parks to help children to learn about London and their local community. Staff are highly skilled communicators who create an interesting and language-rich environment. Books and stories are integral to everything staff do. Consequently, children develop a love of reading. Staff make sure that books and resources reflect the uniqueness of children attending the nursery. This helps children to feel valued and be confident to celebrate their individuality.

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

• Staff regularly and consistently observe children's progress. Their knowledge of each child is detailed and thorough. Staff use the information they gain to identify meaningful next steps in learning for children and to ensure that they are continually challenged. The manager has created a number of well-thought out approaches to enable parents to help continue their children's learning at home. For example, staff provide 'borrow bags', which contain nursery activities that parents can use at home and share their feedback with staff. Children enjoy borrowing books from the setting's library, so that they can share these with their families at home.
• The manager is inspirational. Her passion and determination at providing inclusive, high-quality education and care shines through throughout the inspection. Staff praise the manager highly, who actively supports their well-being and ongoing professional development. For example, some staff have recently attended training on autism and this has been very effective in broadening their understanding of how to support children with additional needs. This has also led to new techniques being introduced to support children to manage their emotions and enhance their speech.
• Staff are quick to identify emerging gaps in children's learning and development. They work exceptionally hard to address these, secure timely interventions and seek targeted support for individual children, including children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. They work closely with parents, schools and other professionals to ensure that all children receive the interactions they need to maximise their progress.
• Children have an abundance of opportunities to develop their physical skills. They demonstrate how they can balance, run and cycle in the well-resourced outdoor area. Children show great enthusiasm as they dance and move their bodies along with music and song, during their music session. Children bring in their own packed lunches from home and staff offer information and guidance to families in how to provide healthy and nutritious food for them to eat.
• Children's engagement in the curriculum and their motivation to learn is a magical sight. From the moment they arrive, they are ready and eager to start learning and exploring. For example, upon arrival, children confidently go to their friends and suggest making rockets together. They use language such as 'gravity' and 'space buggies' when describing planets and space. Children, of all ages, stay focused on particular tasks for extended periods of time. Staff effortlessly extend children's learning. For example, staff encourage children to find and create the number 'six' as they build a track out of dominoes.
• The manager and staff demonstrate that they know children extremely well. They treat all children as unique individuals, developing kind and caring relationships with them. For example, staff know when children need a cuddle or to hear songs, if they feel a little worried. This is very effective in helping children to feel safe and secure and supports their emotional well-being very well. Children confidently ask for help and readily seek reassurance if required.
• Parents are extremely complimentary in their praise for the setting. They comment that their children have developed an abundance of confidence and are highly sociable. They enjoy hearing new information that children have learned, such as about the planets Mercury and Pluto. Parents mention that they feel extremely involved in what is happening and that staff truly know their child and their individual needs.