Edgbaston Nursery School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children come into the setting happily and are greeted warmly by friendly and caring staff. They show that they feel settled and content as they excitedly ask visitors to ' wear the fire helmet and help them to extinguish the fire.' All children develop strong attachments with their key person. Staff plan and provide interesting play activities that develop babies' curiosity. Babies and young children have a calm space for daytime sleeping.

Children are developing important independence skills as they confidently make choices about their play. Older children practise dressing and undressing to build their skills and confidence for when they start school. They enjoy serving their own lunch and helping themselves to more food when they are still hungry. Children enjoy healthy meals and snacks.

All staff have high expectations for every child and understand that each child is different, with their own individual stories to tell. They provide all children with an inclusive environment, where every child is valued for who they are. Staff use positive strategies to manage children's behaviour. Children develop good personal, social and emotional skills, and build confidence in their abilities and develop a positive sense of themselves.

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

• Staff are skilled in setting up the environment in ways that spark children's natural curiosity and interest. Overall, staff support children's learning and development well, through a broad and varied curriculum. They know children well and plan next steps in their learning that meet their unique needs. However, on occasion, during planned group activities, staff do not focus clearly on identified learning intentions for each child, to help them achieve at the highest level.
• Children visit places of local interest, including parks and shops and travel on buses and trams. They visit residential care homes, where children interact and sing with the residents. Children develop a sense of community. These experiences ensure children have a wide range of exciting opportunities that support their cultural capital.
• Children learn about and deepen their understanding of the world around them. Cultural differences are explored through discussion and celebrations. Children understand their own uniqueness and the fact that not everyone has the same beliefs and cultural traditions. For instance, children recognise the festival of Diwali and Raksha Bandha through creative activities and stories.
• Staff follow children's interests when planning new activities. This ensures that children are interested and motivated to learn. For example, after listening to the story 'We're Going on a Bear Hunt', children are delighted to go on a pretend bear hunt in the outside area. This helps to build on their early literacy skills.
• The special educational needs coordinators are knowledgeable in their role. They make timely referrals for additional funding and source support from other agencies. Any concerns about children's development are shared with parents. As a result, these children are well supported and are making good progress.
• Staff plan a variety of activities that cover the seven areas of learning. For example, babies explore lights, sounds and textures in a calm environment. Toddlers and pre-school children have plenty of opportunities to develop their small-muscle skills. They use tools to manipulate play dough, copy words to write cards and use scissors. These activities support their next steps in writing. However, at times, staff do not recognise when they need to differentiate planned group activities to meet the individual development needs of children, especially for less confident and quieter ones.
• Partnerships with parents are very strong. Staff exchange information with parents about every aspect of their children's care, learning and progress. Parents are happy with the education and care provided. They recommend the setting to friends and family.
• Leaders and managers are duly focused on supporting staff's well-being, and provide them with valuable professional development to extend their knowledge and skills. Managers support new staff through a thorough induction process. As a result, all staff, including new staff, are very knowledgeable about the policies and procedures of the nursery.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• strengthen planning of adult-led activities in order to focus teaching more precisely on the targeted learning intentions for all children
• support staff to identify quieter children and consider how to successfully include them more in group sessions.