Elloughton Private Nursery with Little Acorns Limited

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children thrive in this welcoming, friendly and stimulating nursery environment. As they arrive, they separate from their parents with ease and eagerly enter, ready to start their day. Staff ensure that children feel safe from the moment they start. They build warm relationships with the children, supporting them to feel happy, settled and secure.

Children benefit from a well-organised learning environment. The managers and staff plan an ambitious curriculum based on children's individual learning needs. Children are keen and enthusiastic to join in with activities and explore their surroundings. For example, during water play, children fill watering cans and water their flowers. Staff extend this and give them sponges to learn about how water is absorbed. This helps to build secure foundations for children's learning.

Children behave well, share resources and are kind to their friends. Staff have high expectations for children's behaviour and value each one of them. They are positive role models and demonstrate kindness and good manners to children. For example, staff consistently remind children to say 'please' and 'thank you'. Staff talk to children about why some behaviour is not acceptable and praise them when they behave well. This means children are clear about the boundaries and expectations.

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

• The management team has a good overview of the curriculum and a clear vision of what they want children to learn. Staff ensure that routines and regular activities at the nursery build on what children already know and can do. For example, babies develop their physical skills as they use spoons to fill containers with beans and lentils. Staff challenge children further and encourage them to use tweezers instead. This means that children make good progress in their learning.
• Overall, partnerships with parents are strong. Parents are very complimentary about the staff and their children's experiences at the nursery. They say they feel well informed through daily discussions and termly reports from staff. However, some parents do not receive specific information about how to extend their children's learning at home.
• Children have regular access to the outdoor areas which offer a wealth of resources and learning experiences. For example, children learn about planting and growing and enjoy exploring the vegetable patch. They tell visitors about the cabbages and cauliflowers they are caring for. Toddlers develop their balance as they ride tricycles. Staff help them to manage safe risks, as they negotiate the obstacles around the garden. Older children have access to a large field where they enjoy playing sports such as football.
• Staff support children to become increasingly independent in several ways. For example, pre-school children help to set the table and use cutlery to eat at mealtimes. Children select their own resources and engage in a range of child-led activities. However, at snack and mealtimes, arrangements for handwashing for toddlers are less effective. They do not fully support all children to develop an understanding of how to take care of their own personal care needs.
• An effective key-person system is in place. Key persons are kind, caring and attentive and have a clear intention regarding what they want children to learn. They use their deep knowledge of children to plan exciting experiences that they know children will enjoy. This helps to ensure that every child's individual needs are met.
• Children's communication and language development are given high priority. Staff consistently model language and repeat back words so that children hear the correct pronunciation. Staff use every opportunity to interact purposefully with children. For example, during hospital role play, staff introduce new words, such as 'stethoscope' and 'surgeon'. This supports children to make good progress with their speech and language development.
• Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are supported well. The special educational needs coordinator works closely with staff to ensure that children with SEND receive targeted support at the earliest opportunity. Through early intervention and close partnership working with families and external agencies, children with SEND are included in every aspect of the setting.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• build on the good partnerships with parents to ensure they receive more frequent and specific guidance on how to support their children's learning at home
• ensure that good hygiene procedures are followed consistently in the toddler room at snack times to further promote children's good health.