Elm House Day Nursery West Derby

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Elm House Day Nursery's ethos is 'a beautiful place to play'. This shines through as children love attending, feel at home and flourish at this delightful setting. Children and their families are warmly welcomed by caring staff who know them and their needs well. Children are excited to meet their friends and play in the well-planned and resourced indoor and outdoor spaces where they learn skills to prepare them for later life.

Staff support children in playing alongside each other harmoniously with tracks and vehicles, supporting their social skills. Skilled staff teach new words, which extends children's range of vocabulary. As they play, the children use words such as 'excavator' and 'panther'. Babies cuddle up with their key adults to share books and songs, and they thrive from caring relationships, which help them feel secure and comfortable. They feel confident to explore the room as they scoop and pour sand, developing their physical skills.

Staff plan activities so children benefit from being outdoors in the extensive garden. They climb, slide and play with dough with careful supervision. Older children develop strength and stamina while they play. Staff have high expectations for children's behaviour. They follow embedded routines, and older children remember the nursery's rules. For example, they stop and listen when a bell rings at tidy-up time. Their personal and social skills are very well supported by staff.

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

• Staff have developed a coherently planned and sequenced curriculum that builds on children's interests, knowledge and skills as they progress through the nursery. Staff sing a hello song to babies, who beam with delight when they hear their names. Older children listen attentively as an experienced member of staff reads a story, and they answer questions about it. This supports their developing communication and language skills.
• Children benefit from visitors to the setting. For example, parents visit to talk about the jobs they do. This helps children learn about people and the community around them. Staff plan exciting trips to local parks, shops and farms. This encourages children to learn about the world around them.
• Staff have some effective partnerships in place, for example with the local community centre. Children and their families can benefit from additional support such as food hampers and toys. This helps to support the well-being of families. Partnerships with schools that children move on to are established. Staff have introduced early phonics to teach older children about letters and the sounds they represent. However, this teaching is not always linked to the way children learn phonics in the schools they move on to.
• Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are particularly well supported by skilled staff trained to identify children with delayed language skills. Staff use assessment well to plan activities for specific needs. Children learn listening and early mathematics skills as they enjoy joining in the 'Hot Cross Buns' rhyme.
• Relationships with parents are excellent. Parents feel staff know their children very well. Parents report that their children are well cared for. There is an abundance of praise for the warmth of the staff. The staff use an online communication system to keep parents updated on their child's learning and how to support them at home. This provides continuity in learning and care routines for the children.
• Staff support children's needs well. For example, babies are gently soothed as they rest. This relaxes them and helps them sleep contently. Pre-school children learn rhymes and songs and enjoy joining in with the actions. This is developing their early literacy skills.
• Staff support children to learn about a healthy lifestyle. Children drink water and have healthy meals and snacks. They access the outdoors each day to develop physical skills and support their well-being. On occasions, staff do not take children to wash their hands before eating snacks. This does not help them to learn hygienic routines.
• Staff have high expectations and established routines, which support children to learn how to share and cooperate with each other. For example, children share resources as they roll dough together. They are motivated and eager to join in the activities staff have thoughtfully planned for them. For instance, babies explore different textures such as ice. Their positive attitudes to play shines through.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• strengthen links with local primary schools to support continuity of early phonics teaching with the next stage of children's education
• embed hygiene practices so they are consistently followed by all staff to promote children's understanding of good hygiene routines.