Excel Kids Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are happy and settled at the nursery. Children develop good relationships with all staff and look to them for support and reassurance. Older children are confident to ask questions and ask for help when needed. Staff understand the importance of sequencing children's learning in small steps to help them achieve, such as supporting babies from the crawling to walking stage.

Staff have high expectations of children. Children behave well. Children share with each other and wait patiently for their turn. For example, when washing their hands for snack, children line up and wait patiently for a space at the sink. Children demonstrate respect for each other by joining the line and waiting. Children are encouraged to be independent throughout the day. They pour their own drinks, find their own belongings, and put on their own coats. Children demonstrate that they have learned these skills and practise them regularly. They are helpful and follow simple instructions from staff. For example,, when children are asked if they can clear away the plates after snack, they happily help the adult and show how proud they are of themselves. This promotes children's self-confidence and independence.

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

• The manager and the staff team have worked hard to implement an effective curriculum since their last inspection. Staff know the children well and create an environment that supports children to learn independence and the skills needed to prepare them for school. Staff ensure that routines and regular activities at the setting support the curriculum. All ages of children are encouraged to be independent throughout the day. Children are confident to meet their own personal needs. This includes, for example, toileting, eating and getting themselves dressed.
• There is an effective key-person system in place. Staff respond to babies' babbles and provide reassurance. Children demonstrate strong attachments to staff. Staff are good role models. They talk to children with kindness and are calm. Children behave well.
• Staff provide children with a language-rich environment. Babies babble furiously and show a desire to communicate. While older children confidently talk about the Coronation. Staff encourage introduce new vocabulary through conversations. For instance, they explain what a Coronation is and have discussions about the new King and Queen. This gives children the knowledge to extend their communication skills further.
• Children explore the well-resourced garden area. Older children follow recipes, as they mix mud, leaves and sticks to make mud pies for their friends. Toddlers balance on space hoppers and ride on the tricycles. Babies use the chunky chalks to make large drawings on the floor. Children climb equipment to develop their large-muscle skills. Children learn to take appropriate risks and develop an understanding of staying safe.
• Staff understand the importance of early literacy. They provide children with regular singing and rhyme sessions during group times. Staff encourage children to join in with stories. They engage children by talking about the pictures and asking questions, such as 'What do you think will happen next?' Children respond with ideas and develop an understanding and love of books.
• Children, including children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who learn English as an additional language, are well supported. For instance, staff use children's home languages and speak in shorter sentences.
• Leaders and managers provide staff with a range of monitoring, supervision and guidance, although this is not yet fully developed. Leaders and managers do not always identify professional development training opportunities for all the staff, to raise the quality of teaching to the highest possible level.
• Relationships with parents are positive. Parents comment that they value the 'family environment' at the nursery. They say they feel well informed through daily discussions with staff and the use of electronic communication, to receive information about children's experiences at the nursery. However, some parents do not receive specific information about how to extend their children's learning at home. This means that there is not always a joined-up approach to children's learning and development.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• build on the good partnerships with parents to ensure that all parents receive more frequent and specific guidance on how to support their children's home learning
• strengthen supervision to identify areas for staff to gain further opportunities to tailor training to raise the quality of teaching to a higher level.