Elm Cottage Nursery at Brookfield

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are happy and safe in this stimulating and well-organised nursery. They spend time playing with their friends, as well as enjoying a wealth of carefully planned learning experiences, such as making dough and preparing 'reindeer food'. Children articulate themselves very well. They engage in conversations with staff about what they are doing now and what they want to do next. Children make good progress across the seven areas of learning and development. This is due to staff having high expectations for their learning.

Children behave well. They use their manners and respond well to praise from nurturing staff. Children learn lots of different ways to keep themselves healthy. They have access to a well-planned outdoor environment, where they can get daily fresh air and exercise. Children have a go at dressing themselves in outdoor cold weather clothes. Staff are close by to offer help where needed. Children spend time practising their coordination and balance skills with the support of staff. They enjoy a nutritious home-cooked meal prepared by the on-site chef. Even the youngest of children have a go at feeding themselves. This supports them to develop their independence skills.

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

• Leaders have an ambitious curriculum in place that is coherently planned and well sequenced. The programmes of education are intended to support children to build on their prior learning. Staff have a clear knowledge and understanding of the nursery curriculum and how young children learn. Consequently, learning experiences support children to make good progress.
• Staff know children well. They gather a wealth of valuable information prior to children starting and use this to inform their planning from the start. Staff make good use of ongoing assessments to continue to plan activities for children which are suitably challenging. However, at times, staff do not always support children to develop an awareness of others around them and consider how their actions impact on others. Consequently, during some activities, children do not always take turns and share.
• Staff plan meaningful experiences that help prepare children for their next stage in learning, including school. Staff are attentive and caring towards children. This supports children with their own emotional well-being. Children can express their emotions well and seek out staff for comfort when needed. However, on occasion, staff do not always support all children to develop high levels of involvement in activities. Therefore, some children move quickly from one activity to another.
• There is an experienced special educational needs coordinator in place. She effectively disseminates her training to the staff team. This ensures that staff put in place purposeful targeted plans for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Staff seamlessly integrate these plans into all aspects of children's day, including during routines and at times of transition. This ensures children's individual needs are consistently met.
• Staff support children's communication and language incredibly well. They read to children in clear and expressive voices. Children enjoy joining in with the main parts of the story, as well as predicting what is going to happen next. Staff talk to children, share ideas, and encourage children to think of new ideas to test out. Such as, how to change the consistency of the dough they are making. This supports children with their growing vocabulary.
• Leaders have effective systems in place to support staff. They place a real emphasis on staff well-being. Leaders carry out regular observations of staff. They identify staff strengths and areas for improvement. Leaders demonstrate that they can effectively bring about change to enhance outcomes for children. For example, they recently completed 'Physical Champion' training. This has been effectively disseminated to the whole team. Consequently, children's physical development has improved.
• Parents speak positively about the nursery. They know who their children's key person is and feel that they receive a good level of communication about their children's time in nursery. Staff have effective measures in place for supporting parents to continue children's learning at home. Staff encourage parents to be actively involved in the nursery. This helps support children to settle quickly.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support children to develop a greater sense of awareness of others, in particular how their actions impact on others
• strengthen planning to encourage all children to develop the highest levels of engagement and involvement in activities.