Fennies Walton

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children's emotional needs are well supported by their key person. Staff get to know the children and provide reassurance and cuddles, particularly when they are new or upset. Children develop their imagination through 'story sacks' and staff encourage them to invent their own stories using props. They make and create a spider from recycled materials and 'pies' in the mud kitchen. A designated Spanish teacher engages with children during their play, to help them learn simple words in Spanish.

Older children have many opportunities to develop their physical skills, such as steering a bicycle with confidence. They develop their hand strength by using large paintbrushes and rollers, to create and make marks with paint. However, younger babies have less opportunity to develop their gross motor skills, for example by climbing.

Children have a healthy, balanced diet throughout the day. Staff monitor food safety well. For example, qualified staff supervise children with allergies at mealtimes and the food is triple checked before it is placed on the table. Younger children are learning self-help skills through their role play. For example, they sit the doll on the potty and put their nappy in the bin.

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

• Leadership and management of the nursery are effective. New staff complete a detailed induction to help them gain the knowledge they need to understand their role within the nursery. Supervision is provided for all staff, including those at management level. This provides time to discuss any concerns they may have and to plan for their professional development. For instance, staff who lead and manage nursery rooms have designated training to prepare them for the senior role. The company value their staff and promote their well-being through a variety of initiatives, such as training on issues outside of the workplace.
• Staff have a clear understanding of what they want children to learn. They focus on babies physical and emotional development, along with their language skills. In the toddler room, they encourage children's communication, independence and social skills. In pre-school, staff support children to regulate their emotions and to become independent learners.
• The curriculum is well planned overall. However, on occasions, the implementation of some activities is not as successful. For instance, when activities are too challenging for babies, they lose interest quickly. Although, staff do act on children's interests. For example, children eagerly talk about a spider's web and staff provide the materials to enable them to make their own web.
• Children are eager to learn. They are generally well engaged in their play. They learn about their own beliefs and that of others, through planned activities. For instance, during Diwali, they listened to a story read by a parent. Staff encourage children's good behaviour. They use positive praise and remind children to use their 'kind hands'. Older children learn to regulate their emotions. If they get upset, staff use the 'breath box' to teach children to take deep breaths in and out, by smelling lemons and blowing bubbles.
• Children's communication and language are well supported. Babies use simple actions while joining in with familiar songs and rhymes. They lie on the carpet, poised ready to jump up and 'stomp like dinosaurs'. Staff speak to children during their play and describe what they are doing. This helps them to hear words being pronounced correctly. Staff use simple signs and photos to help children who need additional support with their speech and language.
• Partnership with parents is strong. They state that the nursery is part of their 'extended family' and that 'staff are amazing'. Parents welcome the advice they receive from staff to help them with their child's learning and development. The special educational needs coordinator provides advice to staff and monitors the progress of children who need additional help with their learning. Staff work with other professionals involved with children who have special educational needs and/or disabilities. This enables them to provide the targeted intervention required.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• continue to monitor and evaluate staff practice when implementing planned activities, to ensure they consistently target children's individual learning needs
• plan and provide more opportunities for young babies to climb, in order to develop their gross motor skills.