Edgbaston Grange Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Staff support children's separation from parents. Familiar staff greet children at the door and spend time sharing information. This means that children arrive happy and settle quickly in the environment, where they feel safe and secure. Staff are kind and reassure children. They form close bonds with the children, which are especially important to children who are new to nursery. This nurturing approach supports children's emotional well-being.

Staff role model good behaviour. They have high expectations for all children to be kind and to think about the feelings of others. Staff teach children simple rules to help them understand how to behave. As a result, children behave well. They develop nice friendships with their peers. Children take turns and share. They begin to negotiate and ask if they can have toys held by others and wait for a response.

The focus of the curriculum is predominantly based on the prime areas of learning for younger children. The specific areas are woven into children's learning as their ages and stages of development progress. This provides them with further challenge to what they know and can do. The staff team is invested in teaching children the wide range of skills they will require for their future learning.

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

• Since the last inspection, the leadership and management have taken swift action to improve the implementation of the curriculum and raise the quality of teaching and care at the nursery. The provider maintains an overview of the nursery with regular visits to meet and talk to the staff team. Staff feel supported. Leaders provide regular supervision, and a programme of training keeps staff's knowledge and skills up to date.
• Leaders understand their role in supporting children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Regular assessments of children capture any gaps in children's development and learning. The team is quick to act and speak with parents. Leaders have close links with external agencies who are specialists in providing support where children may need additional interventions to help them make the best possible progress.
• Older children enjoy their time at the nursery. Staff use children's interests to plan a wide curriculum that sparks their curiosity to learn. Children become independent in their own personal care. They excitedly dress up in doctors' coats. They use their imaginations to diagnose and inject the patient. They take the patient's temperature as they recall events from their own experiences. Staff teach children a wide vocabulary. However, on occasion, staff do not consistently use opportunities to increase children's understanding of English even further.
• Children develop a love of books. They concentrate well during story time and understand the different parts of a book. Children call out as they name the cover page, blog and author. Staff are skilled storytellers and children revel in the repetition of the words and sounds they recall. Staff effectively challenge younger children's learning. They use simple problem-solving with play fruit to see if it fits into different containers and ask if it is too big or too small. Children name objects in early books. Some younger children form short sentences with ease.
• Children learn about different people in our diverse communities as they explore different festivals throughout the year. However, staff have not yet considered how to teach children about the wide range of different families outside of children's own experiences.
• Outdoors, children have space to run and play in the fresh air, in all weathers. Children count the line, up to eight as they wait to go outdoors. Children cooperate well. They like to help and work alongside staff to wipe down wet surfaces. They follow simple instructions for make-believe games as they run with direction, like a dinosaur. Children show good levels of self-esteem and confidence.
• Children enjoy healthy and nutritious meals in the nursery. Good hygiene practices are in place to support children's good health. Children's personal care needs are addressed sensitively to ensure they are comfortable throughout the day. Staff teach children the importance of eating 'five-a-day'. Children recognise the different types of fruits and vegetables they see.
• Parents and carers say that they are happy with the quality of care and education their children receive at the nursery. They highlight the good communication between staff and families.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support staff to review how their teaching can increase children's understanding of English so that children can make rapid progress
• develop children's understanding of the different types of families outside of their own experience.