Eden Garden Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children enjoy their time at the nursery and have fun. They are confident and settle well. Staff are consistently calm and kind. They are respectful and positive role models. Children form strong bonds with staff. They delight in sharing their thoughts and ideas with staff as they play. Babies reach out happily for cuddles and smile at staff readily. Children behave well and use good manners, such as saying 'please' and 'thank you'. Older children form firm friendships and younger children play happily alongside each other.

Children join in eagerly with a wide variety of activities in the playrooms and follow routines well. They explore materials, using all of their senses. For instance, young children make marks in slime made from cornflour and water. They investigate what happens when they add more water to the mix. Overall, staff support children's learning and development effectively. Children gain a range of skills in preparation for their future learning. For example, they serve their own food at lunchtime and use cutlery to eat their meals. Young children confidently sip drinks from open cups. Staff promote independence in self-care and encourage children to make choices and lead their own learning. They celebrate children's achievements with them and offer praise and encouragement.

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

• The manager involves staff in reflecting on what works well and what needs to improve across the areas of learning. One example of this is that they have identified ways to help children build further on their communication and language skills. For instance, in each playroom, staff consistently introduce new vocabulary during activities through the use of the 'word of the week'.
• Staff help children to develop a love of books and songs. For instance, they promote children's familiarity with stories through a shared book that is repeated regularly. Children listen to and join in with songs and rhymes throughout their routines, such as at nappy changing. This supports the development of their good early literacy skills.
• Children enjoy running, jumping, climbing and balancing in the outdoor play area. This supports their physical development. Children benefit from fresh air and exercise. They sometimes grow plants from seeds and hunt for bugs. However, there are fewer opportunities for learning experiences outside. This means that children are occasionally less engaged outdoors than they are in the playrooms.
• Relationships with parents are positive. Parents comment that they value the 'family environment' at the nursery. They say that communication with staff is good and that they feel well informed about their children's experiences at the nursery. Staff share ideas for continuing learning at home for older children.
• However, this is not consistently shared across the younger age ranges to benefit all children.
• All children make good progress from their starting points, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. The manager and staff establish strong partnerships with some professionals, such as health visitors, to support children. They swiftly identify and address any gaps in their learning and development. However, the exchange of information with other settings that children attend is less effective in supporting children's achievements.
• Staff provide plenty of opportunities for children to practise their mathematical skills. For instance, they count during routines and activities, such as when they match a set of conkers to numbers. Children hear and learn many number rhymes that support their understanding. Staff build on these skills by encouraging children to estimate the number of objects in a small group. This helps to support the development of their early mathematical skills well.
• Leaders provide good supervision and support for staff's well-being. For instance, the manager regularly gives staff feedback about their practice. There is a targeted programme of professional development. For example, most staff have recently refreshed their knowledge of the 'Statutory framework for the early years foundation stage'. The manager has a clear and ambitious vision for the nursery, which is shared across the staff team.
• Children learn about making healthy food choices. The home-made meals provided are nutritious and inviting. Great care is taken to ensure that foods are appropriate for those children with allergies or dietary preferences. Children find out about dental care, such as when they have visits from a dentist. They follow robust hygiene procedures.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support staff to widen the range of learning experiences, particularly for those children who prefer to learn outdoors
• extend the provision of home learning ideas to involve parents of children of all ages to continue their learning at home
• strengthen the exchange of information with other settings that children attend, to help support the best outcomes for all.