Elmhurst House Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children enjoy their time at this welcoming nursery. They form close bonds with their key person and staff. As a result, children are happy and settled. The learning environment is carefully planned to capture children's curiosity and to build on their individual interests and experiences. Children benefit from a good balance of adult-led and child-initiated activities. All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, make good progress from their starting points.

Children's behaviour is good across the nursery. They develop an understanding of what behaviour is expected of them and how to follow instructions. For example, older children line up when it is time to go outside to play. Children benefit from new experiences to broaden their understanding of the world around them. Staff link outings to the curriculum to enrich children's experiences. For example, children enjoy visits to the local train station following their displayed interest in trains.

Staff are caring, attentive and swiftly tend to children's individual needs. Babies enjoy cuddles when they become tired or upset and staff use gentle words to soothe them. This helps babies to feel content and emotionally secure. Toddlers snuggle up to staff as they look at books together and enjoy singing along to familiar nursery rhymes. Older children enjoy circle time, where they share their home experiences, such as the places they have visited on holiday. This helps children to feel valued and have a voice at the nursery.

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

• The manager is passionate about providing children with the best possible care and education. She is 'hands on' and is a good role model for staff, offering help and guidance. Staff benefit from professional development opportunities to help continuously raise their knowledge and skills.
• The manager and staff work closely with specialist professionals to help understand how to best support children to achieve their individual targets. The manager uses additional funding effectively to target areas of learning where children need it most. She has established links with Reception class teachers from the local primary schools and shares relevant information, which helps to aid smooth transitions and ensure children are ready for the next stage in their education.
• Parent partnerships are strong. The manager and staff communicate daily with parents through a variety of methods, such as through online learning journeys and face-to-face feedback. Written testimonials from parents are highly complimentary. Parents state that their children are extremely well cared for, make good progress and thrive.
• Communication and language are promoted well across the nursery. Staff working with babies and toddlers introduce new words and provide a narrative to their play. Staff working with older children ask questions that help children to think for themselves, and develop the confidence to express their thoughts and ideas. However, staff do not consistently recognise opportunities as they arise in children's play to build on what they already know and can do and help them make the best possible progress.
• Staff provide opportunities for children to develop an awareness of diversity and the wider world. For example, children learn about festivals and cultures that are different from their own through craft activities, food tasting and discussions.
• Children benefit from daily opportunities to play and exercise in the fresh air. Older children have lots of fun as they take part in circle games that help to strengthen their balance, movement and coordination. However, staff do not make the most of opportunities to help children to understand and explore the effects that exercise has on their bodies and the value of following a healthy lifestyle.
• Staff provide children with opportunities to develop their early writing skills. For example, babies enjoy the sensory experience of using their fingers to make marks in sand. Toddlers strengthen the small muscles in their hands as they squeeze, poke and roll dough to make a 'sausage shape'. Older children use pencils with increasing control to colour in worksheets.
• Staff help to develop children's understanding of hygiene. For example, older children enjoy learning how washing their hands with soap and water prevents the spread of germs. Children enjoy the responsibility of carrying out small tasks, such as helping to hand out cutlery at mealtimes. Staff further promote children's independence and confidence by giving them lots of praise and encouragement.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support staff in strengthening their skills to enable them to consistently extend children's learning to the highest level
• make the most of opportunities for children to understand and explore the effect that physical exercise has on their bodies, as part of following a healthy lifestyle.