Ellwood Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children arrive happy and eager to play. They leave their parents confidently and staff greet them warmly. They find a peg to hang up their things in the cloakroom.

Children are making good progress from their starting points. The curriculum focuses on all the areas of learning. Staff provide children with a wide range of experiences that enable them to concentrate, explore and discover. Children have opportunities for structured adult-led group activities that focus on phonics. They laugh with excitement, as 'What's in the box' are animals that may escape. Staff make learning fun and engaging. Children have many opportunities for independent free play. This helps them learn to share with others and be physically active.

Children engage in a range of fun outdoor activities. They go on 'nurture walks' in small groups, and tell others they see dandelions, buttercups and collect twigs. Babies and toddlers have a daily outing in the local community and take snack to eat. Children play in the garden, using a range of materials in water play that challenge them. They carry large buckets of water and work out how to lift them to make the water splash down the pipes.

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

• Children's behaviour is good. Staff have clear 'golden rules' and are consistent with them. Children know about 'kind hands' and 'indoor voices'. Staff sensitively remind children about sharing, and sand timers help children know when it is their turn. Staff model respect and friendliness. This helps children develop positive, helpful attitudes. They are kind and caring. For example, children pour drinks for their friends and tidy up any spillages without any prompting.
• Children create and discover. Babies explore wet sand, which helps to develop their curiosity. Children predict what happens when they mix paint and glue in the art studio. The paint floats. They stir vigorously to make the paint and glue blend and use it in their paintings. Children show fascination to see what happens when they mix colours.
• Staff use sign language and picture prompts to support children to understand daily routines. During planning circle times, children choose the picture of the place they would like to play. This helps them make meaningful choices and use decision-making skills.
• Support for children's communication is very good. Staff engage in frequent conversations, ask open-ended questions, and use repetition to connect with children. Staff listen and show interest in children's play. They introduce specific vocabulary. They use questions that extend children's learning, and enabling statements that support children's thinking. For example staff support children's developing knowledge and understanding of number and measures. They ask, 'I wonder if you got another one', 'which one is bigger' and 'how much more water do you need'.
• Leaders and managers discuss staff well-being during supervision and set goals to support their development. Staff have access to a range of training. The deputy manager recognises good practice and offers helpful feedback to make it even better. This helps to improve and enhance children's care, learning and development. However, managers do not always ensure that staff working the nursery develop a clear understanding of how to support children with the next steps in their learning. Therefore, support for some children does not sufficiently focus on what will enhance their own personal development.
• Parents say their children are happy, safe and well cared for. Parents of babies and toddlers say the information they get reassures them about the daily routines and their babies' interests. Some parents say they do not feel as informed as they could about staff changes, and that information is not always timely about their children's learning. Parents know their children are progressing well and like the daily handover.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• strengthen partnership with parents to ensure that all parents can access up-to-date information about their child's learning and nursery staff
• enhance systems to ensure that children's next steps are known by all staff to help children make even better progress.