Fair Start Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The manager and staff plan a good curriculum, focusing on children's prime areas of development. This has a positive impact on children soon becoming confident in the setting, through building effective relationships. All children, including those who speak English as an additional language and children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, become confident communicators.

Staff make good observations to monitor children's development and identify any gaps. This enables them to plan effectively for children's next stages of development. Overall, staff plan well to provide experiences for children that cover all seven areas of development. For example, they make good use of traditional stories, so that children develop their knowledge and skills, as well as make links in their learning.

Children behave well and feel secure because staff are positive role models. They are caring and kind, supporting children effectively in managing their emotions. Staff engage in children's imaginative play, helping them to extend their ideas and vocabulary. For example, staff help children to describe different hairstyles, comment on which they prefer and have a go at brushing and styling hair. Children happily go to staff, knowing they will receive a positive response. Children become confident independent learners, preparing them well for school.

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

• The new manager evaluates the quality of the provision and teaching successfully. Through identifying that children's mathematical development was an area for improvement, together they have all improved this area. For example, children recall the story of 'Goldilocks and The Three Bears', explaining different sizes and noticing there are fewer bowls than bears. Staff help children to make predictions and test their ideas, such as how many fat balls will fill the feeder.
• Partnerships with parents are strong. Staff work successfully with parents to get to know the children well and parents confirm how effectively staff share information with them. This ensures children receive consistent care and learning. For example, parents comment on how well they work together over potty training.
• Children gain a good awareness of their own community and the wider world. For example, they learn about Diwali and Chinese New Year. They develop respect for people's differences. However, not all staff are aware of children's own cultural celebrations and there are few positive images to help children develop their sense of self.
• Overall, staff provide good support for children's language and communication skills. They are successful role models, building on children's vocabulary as they engage in their learning. Parents confirm how much their children's speech has developed since attending the setting.
• Children happily engage in a wide range of activities, supported well by staff. For example, they are excited to go insect hunting, they record what they have found and use magnifying glasses to look closely and comment on what they see. However, staff do not always plan group activities for the youngest children as effectively as they could. Sometimes, children become distracted and do not listen or engage fully.
• Staff ensure children have good opportunities to develop their physical skills. Children have daily opportunities to be outside and develop their large-muscle skills as they climb, balance and jump. They excitedly control balloons, hitting them into the air. Staff challenge them further, such as trying to balance them on their head. Children become increasingly aware of managing risks outdoors, such as knowing how to use a zebra crossing.
• The new manager has implemented staff taking on responsibilities according to their strengths, such as behaviour management support, and health and safety officer. This helps staff to be more involved in decisions and feel ownership for the quality of the provision.
• The special educational needs coordinator (SENCO) is currently attending higher level training for her role and has a good understanding of her responsibilities. She knows which children need additional support and ensures they receive it. The SENCO ensures the curriculum is accessible for all children, to make the best progress they can.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• increase staff awareness of helping children to gain a greater positive awareness of their backgrounds, to deepen children's sense of belonging
• help staff to plan group activities for the youngest children more effectively, to engage them better and improve their listening skills.