Emma's Angels Day Nursery Ltd

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are happy in this welcoming home-from-home nursery. Staff know the children extremely well. They prioritise building strong relationships with the children and their families. Staff provide a well-organised learning environment, which includes activities that ignite children's interests. Children are immersed in exciting learning. For example, in the forest school they climb into the hammock, remembering to consider where their friends are playing before swinging. This helps them to develop an increased awareness of themselves and others. They learn to use real joinery tools to create Christmas decorations from wood. Children learn to manage their own behaviour, so they can use this equipment safely and with confidence.

Staff working with babies have a very secure understanding of their role as a key person. They successfully nurture secure and loving relationships with each child. Staff are highly successful in interpreting the wants and needs of babies through their non-verbal forms of communication. Toddlers excitedly work alongside their friends to search for the paper fish hiding under powder paint and show great delight when they find them. This helps to build on their developing relationships with others. Older children show an enjoyment of creative arts and express themselves through their drawing and artwork.

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

• The managers are passionate and committed to providing children with the best possible learning opportunities. They design and implement an ambitious and sequenced curriculum for all children. This helps children to achieve, consolidate their learning and move successfully on to their next stage in education. The managers are ably and well supported by a highly effective staff team, who show a great love and enthusiasm for their work. Everyone involved in the nursery shares a sense of pride in what they do.
• Staff share conversations, stories and songs with children and engage with them as they play. Babies begin to copy the words that staff use, while toddlers are able to use simple sentences. Pre-school children have conversations with staff and each other throughout the day. However, very occasionally the pace at which staff give information during play and activities is too fast for some children to consider, develop and express their own emerging ideas.
• The nurturing staff speak with care and respect to the children and offer lots of praise and encouragement for their efforts. They help children to manage their feelings and behaviour effectively. They use sand timers to let children know when it is their turn. Staff speak calmly and sensitively when children need support with their emotions.
• Children show a love of books. They independently select books and lie down to look at them. Children talk about what they see on the pictures. Older children demonstrate that they recall prior learning. For example, they talk about the characters in a story book and describe how the fairy stole the socks.
• Mathematical concepts are seamlessly woven through children's play. Babies and toddlers are exposed to mathematical language, such as simple counting and words to describe size and weight. Older children are introduced to the idea of time using sand timers. They competently differentiate sticks that are thick, thin, short and long.
• Children enjoy a range of healthy meals that are freshly prepared on site. Staff ensure that children's allergies and individual dietary requirements are closely adhered to.
• The managers have an ambitious vision for the nursery. Staff morale is high. They comment that they feel valued and say the managers support them well. They appreciate opportunities to complete higher level qualifications and value staff training days to help build on their skills and knowledge. This results in consistent practice across the nursery.
• Parents speak highly of staff and comment on how happy their children are to come to nursery each day. They comment they are greeted by happy, polite and helpful staff, who go 'above and beyond' expectations. They feel well informed about their children's learning and development through personalised feedback and the nursery's app. Staff recognise the importance of developing relationships with all family members, not just parents. Therefore, stay-and-play events are planned for grandparents as well as parents.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• continue to support staff to give children more opportunity to think about and consolidate the information given during some activities, taking account of their need to think about and share their responses and ideas.