Explorers Day Care Limited

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children clearly love their nursery. They wave goodbye to their parents with great confidence. Children benefit greatly from familiar routines, and this helps them to feel secure and develop a sense of belonging. For example, the morning routine involves children finding their photograph and placing it on a board. Children are immersed in exciting learning which supports the exceptional progress they make. Activities are real and meaningful. For example, in the woodland area and under the stringent supervision of staff, children learn to light the fire, use knives to chop food for lunch, and use real joinery tools to create a bird house. This active learning enables children to achieve more. Children learn to manage their own behaviour so they can use this equipment safely and with confidence.

Staff regularly ask children to work out their own solutions to problems, rather than step in with the information. This enables children to think critically. For example, as older children sit in a circle, they share ideas on how they can work out if the circle is small or large. 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. Children's attitudes to learning are exemplary and contribute to an exceptionally positive atmosphere for learning. They show high levels of respect for one another, play happily together, inviting others to join their game or discussion, and share their toys willingly.

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

• Underpinning the nursery's success is the dedication and expertise of the management team. They are ably and extremely 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 huge sense of pride in what they do. There is a deep commitment and shared vision of all staff to make sure that every child is seen as an individual, and that learning is specifically tailored to meet that child's learning needs. This is something which is achieved on a daily basis. Extremely robust monitoring of staff practice ensures that they are able to fulfil their roles with the utmost competence and diligence.
• The development of children's communication skills weaves through the curriculum. Staff are excellent role models when interacting with children. They help older children verbalise their thinking. Through talking together, children explore and develop their vocabulary and their ideas. They use a wide range of words such as, 'excited', 'nervous' and 'happy', to describe how they are feeling about starting school. Through the telling and retelling of stories, children learn to sequence ideas, while young children begin to use words and short phrases.
• Provision for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities is exemplary. Staff know children and their families extremely well and build strong, trusting relationships. They are skilled at identifying children's specific needs early. They put the necessary adaptations in place to ensure that these children enjoy the same curriculum as their peers and join in with all aspects of nursery life.
• Children's good health is supported exceptionally well. They are physically active outside every day, and staff provide them with exceptionally healthy snacks and meals that are beautifully presented. Children's personal development is enhanced when they share mealtimes. These are enriching social occasions where children learn to eat their meal politely and sensibly.
• Children benefit greatly from a range of rich learning experiences. They have their weekly 'Explorers Adventure trips' that range from visits to a shopping mall or to the local swimming pool. Equally, based on a working farm, children benefit greatly from the unique experiences on offer here. For example, being able to learn about tractors and even watching a calf or a lamb being born.
• Staff form strong relationships with parents, and work very closely with them to ensure that parents also support their child's learning at home. Parents speak very highly of the nursery, especially the caring and nurturing nature of the staff. Parents were keen to share their views and gave many examples of the high-quality education provided at the nursery. For example, 'I've been blown away with my child's language development', and 'There is no place like it, it is a shining example of what a nursery should be'.