Edgemoor Day Nursery Ltd

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children feel very safe and secure. They show affection with smiles and give hugs to staff, who know them well. Children are confident and independent. They make choices about what they want to do and how they want to do it. They help leaders to order their snacks and suggest new foods to try. For example, they try croissants, chosen as an alternative to toast.

Staff plan a broad and varied curriculum to help children develop the skills and knowledge needed for later learning, including school. Babies and toddlers watch and listen with interest when staff sing to them. They try to copy the actions, developing their communication skills and rhythm. Staff focus the activities on children's interests and enable them to learn from life situations. For example, children learn how to care for eggs and hatch out chicks and how tadpoles develop into frogs. Children develop new vocabulary and skills as staff comment on their play and explain and model new experiences. Books and rhymes are integral to the children's daily routine. Children choose to share stories and talk excitedly about the animals and machinery in the story.

Partnership with parents and carers is strong. Staff keep parents up to date with their child's learning and development via a digital app online. Parents are confident that their child is safe and well cared for by friendly staff. Parents like how children are in a small friendly environment that enables their personalities to flourish. They comment on the nursery location on the edge of the moor, which enables children to have wider experiences in the community.

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

• Children learn about numbers and mathematical language through their activities. Staff model and promote counting, sorting and number recognition. They use language such as 'higher', 'faster', 'more' and 'less' to challenge children in their play. Older children use their understanding when playing outside. For example, they count the steps and rocks and explore slow and fast when they pour water down the guttering.
• Babies and toddlers quickly settle into the nursery and separate happily from their parents. Strong bonds are made with their key person, who knows them well. Children grow in confidence to try new experiences and develop their unique personality. They change rooms when they are ready. Staff in the pre-school room work hard to ensure children are well prepared for their next stage of education. For example, they plan activities, such as using tweezers, to develop children's coordination and hand muscles ready for early writing. Children start to recognise their name and how to form the letters to write it.
• Staff plan activities based on children's interests. They recognise children's next steps in learning. Room leaders know what they want children to learn before they move on. Children's interest in dinosaurs leads to dinosaur puppets, stories and building homes and an environment for the dinosaurs. Children talk about volcanoes and tornadoes. Staff use technology to show the children what a tornado looks like. While activities are exciting, staff are not always consistent in identifying children's previous learning and the sequence of skills they need before they can learn a new one. For example, children explore mixing colours with paints but do not all have a secure enough knowledge of different colours.
• Children behave well. Staff support them to take turns and be kind. Staff intervene when needed and model good behaviour to support children in their understanding. For example, babies and toddlers enjoy exploring shells, listening for sounds and finding out about their texture. They take turns to hold and explore the shells. Staff introduce new words, and the children repeat the new words they have heard in their play.
• Babies and toddlers make good progress in their independence skills. Staff support them to use cutlery and feed themselves at mealtimes. Children talk about healthy choices. They start to recognise that they need a drink from a young age. Toddlers are supported to fill their water bottles when needed. Routines are well established and match children's routines at home.
• Children enjoy rhymes with props and actions. Older children learn about the weather and talk about their day and activities. Children adapt favourite rhymes with new words and talk about how the meaning has changed. Sometimes, group times and times when children are getting ready for the next activity do not hold the children's interest or engagement. This can lead to some children losing interest, moving away and being over-excited in their play.
• Staff well-being is high and they have regular supervision from leaders to support their development. Leaders ensure staff have continuous support and guidance, including professional training. Recruitment and induction processes are robust.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• ensure activities are consistently planned and sequenced to build on what children already know and what they need to learn next.
• ensure routines and activities fully engage all of the children to maintain their interest and engagement in learning.