Everbloom Childcare @Shadsworth Business Park

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children, including those with special education needs and/or disabilities (SEND), benefit from a rich curriculum. Staff provide a wide range of new and exciting experiences that broaden children's understanding of the world. For example, they learn how guide dogs help people, and they have opportunities to visit farms, nature reserves and libraries. These experiences are used effectively by staff to promote children's knowledge and skills across all aspects of their learning.

Staff get to know children and their families well. They forge positive, nurturing relationships with the children they care for. This helps children to settle quickly when that start at nursery and supports them to feel safe and secure. Children are confident to approach staff when they are anxious or need help. They consistently receive a warm response from staff, who take time to comfort children and provide reassurance and cuddles.

The embedded routines that are in place support children to understand the expectations of the nursery. Children demonstrate that they understand these expectations as they promptly respond to staff's instructions. Staff help children to learn about their own feelings and those of others. They read a story about how to fill people's happiness buckets. Following this, children compliment their friends to try to make them feel happy. Children behave well and are beginning to understand how their actions impact on the feelings of others.

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

• The dedicated manager strives to continually improve the quality of the care and education that the nursery provides. She accurately identifies the strengths of the nursery and areas for development. The manager is proactive in targeting professional development opportunities for staff in these areas. Staff value the support that they receive from leaders through supervisions and coaching. This helps staff to improve their knowledge and expertise over time.
• Staff support children to develop a love of reading and of rhyme. Children gather round as they see staff reading stories. They join in and enjoy exploring books independently after they have been read. Staff and children frequently sing a wide range of songs and rhymes. Children are keen to join in with the words and actions. These experiences support children to develop their language and early literacy skills.
• Staff plan a broad range of activities that link to children's interests and promote their learning across all aspects of their development. Children make good progress from their starting points. However, at times, staff are not clear about children's precise next steps in learning. They do not always use their interactions with children to specifically promote the targeted next steps for children, including those with SEND. The curriculum is not always delivered as leaders intend.
• Parent partnerships are a strength of this nursery. Leaders and staff gather information from parents about children's development and interests. Staff provide parents with information and advice to support them in extending children's learning at home. This helps to promote continuity between home and nursery.
• Children's health and well-being are prioritised. Staff provide children with home-cooked, nutritious food at mealtimes and healthy snacks. Children learn how to look after their teeth through regular visits from the local dentist. Staff encourage children to be active outside as they run at speed up and jump as high as they can into muddy puddles. Children look forward to taking part in weekly dance classes and swimming lessons organised by the nursery. Children are developing their understanding of how to keep themselves healthy.
• Staff support children to develop positive attitudes to learning. They help children to build their resilience. For example, as children attempt to stack tyres in the outdoor area, staff praise them for not giving up when it becomes difficult. However, at key transitions such as mealtimes, staff do not always ensure that children are consistently engaged in purposeful learning. Some children spend long periods of time waiting while the food is being prepared. This causes some children to become unsettled. At these times, staff do not always act quickly to engage children.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support staff to understand children's precise next steps in learning so that they are able to consistently deliver the intended curriculum
• improve the organisation of transition times so that children are consistently engaged in purposeful learning experiences.