Edward Bears Private Daycare

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children form secure attachments with the kind and caring staff, who understand their individual needs and know their families well. Children demonstrate that they feel safe and secure. They are curious and confidently explore the carefully planned, calm learning environment. Staff deliver a well-sequenced curriculum that builds progressively on children's prior learning and interests. This helps children to make strong progress across all areas of learning.

Babies benefit from a wide range of sensory-rich experiences. They help staff to prepare the dough that they play with and excitedly explore different textures alongside the dough, such as dry oats. Staff use simple words and sign language to support children's early communication skills. They promote positive interactions between children and their peers, encouraging sharing and offering additional resources to extend engagement. Young children develop a sense of responsibility as they help staff to tidy away resources. They recognise similarities and make links as they match items to pictures on baskets. Young children eagerly sing, move and copy staff's actions to familiar songs, building their physical skills. Pre-school children are independent and confidently recall prior learning. They use specific vocabulary, such as 'cocoon' and 'chrysalis', when describing the life cycle of a butterfly. Pre-school children develop fine motor skills in preparation for early writing. They express their creativity as they paint and print symmetrical butterflies.

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

• Staff create a warm and supportive environment. Children are confident to explore and lead their own play. Staff ask children helpful questions to support their thinking and encourage them to do things for themselves. This helps children to remember what they have learned and encourages them to practise new skills. However, staff do not always provide children with enough challenge during activities to help them to think more deeply, solve problems or apply their creativity in meaningful ways.
• Staff organise daily routines generally well. They create a calm atmosphere and help children to understand what will happen next, which gives them a sense of security. For example, staff remind them that they have a few minutes before tidy up time. However, minor inconsistencies in teaching during some routines, particularly before mealtimes, disrupts some children's focus. At times, staff interrupt story sessions to request that children wash their hands for lunch. They do not always explain why handwashing is important or how certain activities, such as 'dance and stretch', support their learning and development. This limits children's understanding of how routines support their health and well-being.
• Staff effectively manage children's move from home to the nursery. They gather comprehensive information from parents about children's routines, interests and developmental stages to inform purposeful learning from the start of children's attendance. Children moving between rooms benefit from multiple visits to their new environment with their key person, fostering emotional security and confidence. Staff carefully ensure that children master essential skills before moving rooms. For example, they ensure that babies have physical stability before moving to the toddler room and that young children can eat independently before joining pre-school. This ensures that children are fully prepared and confident for each stage of their nursery journey.
• Staff prioritise children's safety and well-being through consistent routines and vigilant care. They monitor the ultra violet rating and ensure that children wear hats all year round to protect them from the sun, with staff always wearing hats themselves when outside. Nappy changes are carried out sensitively and personally by each child's key person, ensuring comfort and consistency. Staff effectively support children with allergies. They follow strict procedures, including the use of coloured plates, to clearly identify dietary needs. During children's rest times, staff conduct five-minute sleep checks and physical observations to closely monitor children's safety and well-being.
• Children develop strong independence skills that support their readiness for school. They confidently line up to wash their hands, collect their food from the lunch trolley and return to the table to eat alongside their peers. Staff share detailed information with Reception teachers and invite them into the nursery to ensure that they get to know children in familiar surroundings. This helps to aid a smooth transition and continuity in children's learning and care.
• Staff build strong partnerships with parents, maintaining regular communication through newsletters, verbal feedback and digital platforms. They offer workshops on topics such as potty training and school readiness, and organise social events, including picnics, sports days and graduations. Parents provide highly positive feedback, praising staff's personalised support, clear communication and the nurturing, family-like atmosphere.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• strengthen staff's interactions during play activities to provide children with even more challenge to build on their thinking, creativity and problem-solving skills
• support staff to explain the purpose and benefits of everyday routines and activities to help children gain an even better understanding of their value and how it supports their learning, development and well-being.