Eden Early Years

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are welcomed into the nursery by the nurturing staff team. New children settle quickly because staff provide them with reassurance and use the information gathered from parents to meet their individual needs. Children cooperate well, follow routines and form respectful relationships with staff and one another. Staff deliver a sequenced curriculum that builds on children's knowledge. They use children's interests and next steps in learning to plan engaging activities and purposeful outings. For example, staff organise a trip to the zoo to extend babies' fascination with animals and take toddlers to the park to collect leaves. Staff teach children about personal safety, reminding them to wear high-visibility vests and line up carefully. Young children build stamina as staff take them on short walks. This helps prepare them for the longer journey to the nursery allotment in pre-school.

Staff focus on supporting children's independence from an early age. Babies learn self-care skills as they wash dolls with sponges. Staff model gentle actions and introduce new words. Toddlers learn about healthy lifestyles as they help prepare smoothies, peeling fruit and using safety knives. Staff explain that milk helps their bones to be strong. Staff provide children with activities to support their readiness for school. Pre-school children investigate coloured water to explore capacity and develop hand strength for early writing, shaping dough with tools and natural materials to create framed pictures.

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

• Staff plan a wide range of activities to promote children's curiosity and support their next steps in learning. Children are eager to play and motivated to learn. However, staff's interactions are sometimes overly directive. For example, they give instructions or tell children what to do rather than encouraging them to share their ideas, think through problems and take the lead in their own learning.
• Staff prioritise children's communication and language development. They model new vocabulary and extend conversations in the moment. Story and song times help build children's listening and speaking skills. Each room has a focus book to deepen children's learning. Babies are eager to lift flaps in books and recognise animals, using the correct words to name them, such as camel. Older children explore books about feelings and emotions. Staff discuss how cuddles help them feel secure. Children are becoming confident communicators. They share ideas and engage in thoughtful conversations with staff and peers.
• The nursery provides healthy, nutritionally balanced vegetarian meals prepared onsite. Staff are good role models, supporting children to eat safely and enjoy their food. They carefully manage allergies, using colour-coded plates and displaying relevant information on the room notice boards. However, after mealtimes, when attending to children's care needs, staff do not always organise themselves as effectively as they could. Some children wait longer than necessary while staff prepare them to move to the playroom or sleep rooms. This minimises opportunities for valuable play and learning.
• Staff prioritise children's sense of self and independence. They ask permission before meeting children's care needs, such as wiping noses or changing nappies. This respectful approach helps children feel valued and in control of their bodies. When children decline support, staff respond with gentle encouragement and explain the benefits of self-care. Older children are confident to manage their own needs and understand the importance of personal hygiene.
• Partnerships with parents are effective. Staff share information through digital platforms, face-to-face conversations and visual displays. For example, television screens in the communal areas showcase children's learning experiences, both inside and outside the nursery. Staff provide daily updates on care routines and talk with parents at drop off and collection times. Parents' speak highly of the nursery, noting that their children are happy to attend and that staff provide helpful advice about their development. They value the nursery's focus on healthy eating and well-being.
• Leaders implement effective recruitment and induction procedures for new staff. Staff take part in a comprehensive induction, learning about policies and procedures and applying these in practice. Staff feel well supported in their well-being and professional development. They have opportunities to attend additional training beyond mandatory requirements, such as forest school and special educational needs training. Monthly staff meetings allow leaders to reflect on what is working well and identify areas for development. This helps to raise the quality of provision.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• enhance the organisation of mealtime routines to reduce waiting times and make even better use of opportunities for play and learning
• strengthen staff's interactions to consistently extend children's curiosity and support them to lead their own learning.