Farley Bears Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children enjoy attending this nurturing setting. They form secure bonds with staff, showing their trust as they readily include them in their play and conversations. Staff have high expectations and are good role models to children. For example, children copy the menu a staff member has written on a large board, making up their own items. They go on to draw on chalkboards, eagerly discussing their illustrations. Children respond to staff's positive attitudes and encouragement and persevere at tasks. For instance, children concentrate as they build tall towers, clapping for themselves and their friends when they succeed.

Children copy the staff and are kind, caring and helpful. For example, children choosing dressing-up clothes find outfits for their friends, offering them choices and respecting the choice made. Staff use children's interest in dinosaurs as a way of helping them understand oral hygiene. Children practise cleaning the dinosaurs' teeth, talking about making circular movements with the brush. Children develop good physical skills. For instance, they dance and wave streamers in time to music. They show their understanding of safety as they allow each other sufficient space. Staff recognise the possible effects of the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns. They offer reassurance to parents that procedures are followed to keep children safe and healthy.

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

• Managers responded positively to actions set at the last inspection. They have made changes that have contributed significantly to improving the setting. Managers continuously review their work. They support staff to evaluate activities and involve them in making improvements. Managers are good role models and offer staff ongoing support and encouragement, for example, through frequent supervision sessions. This enables them to continue to develop their practice and support all children in making good progress. Staff report that they are well supported and feel that managers value their work.
• Staff assess children's progress well. They understand what children are learning and what they need to learn next. They keep up to date with children's interests, capturing their attention by offering them activities linked to these. Managers' robust monitoring means that any weaker areas in children's learning are quickly addressed. They maintain a good understanding of each child, using additional funding effectively to promote children's development.
• Children demonstrate their love of books. Younger children are captivated when listening to a favourite story. They eagerly join in with the words, remembering the story and predicting which house will fall down. Staff involve children in making props to use alongside books, adding further to children's enjoyment.
• Staff support children well in developing their language and communication skills. They ask open questions, gently encouraging children to respond and state their views. Staff frequently use picture prompts and simple sign language, aiding children's early communication. These sensitive approaches particularly support children who speak English as an additional language, and they make good progress.
• Children show their developing independence as they explore the interesting environment. They gain a practical awareness of differences, for example, as they investigate artefacts from around the world. They proudly contribute to these, explaining their own culture and traditions to their friends.
• Staff's thoughtful planning means that children have many opportunities to think about what they have been learning and build on this. For example, after visiting a farm, children explore animals frozen in ice blocks. They delight in uncovering the animals, naming these and deciding which ones live on a farm and which they might see at the zoo.
• Staff build strong partnerships with parents, communicating well with them so that they understand each child and their needs. Parents speak highly of all staff, particularly praising their patience and their commitment to their work. Parents note the good progress their children have made and feel that staff support them well in extending their children's learning at home.
• Children enjoy playing outside. For example, they enjoy a one-off visit to a nearby farm and use ride-on toys and large play equipment in the nearby outdoor area. However, children do not have consistent opportunities to fully develop their play and learning outside, particularly those children who prefer to be outdoors.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support staff to make better use of outdoor areas, enabling them to offer children increased play and learning opportunities, particularly for children who prefer to be outside.