Fenwood House Day Nursery Swinton

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Staff create a very safe and nurturing learning environment. They get to know children well. Children seek their key person out to have their needs met. Staff provide physical comfort, when children need calming. Children listen to staff and allow them to support them to manage their emotions. Their laughter echoes throughout the setting. Staff teach children how to use a see-saw. Children giggle as they bump on the ground. They excitedly tell their friends 'again' as they push off from the floor. Staff provide exciting activities. Children are deeply engaged as they learn how their body moves. They develop their imaginations and laugh with their friends as they walk like crabs and move like a fish. Children are very happy in this setting.

The manager and staff have high expectations for children's learning. The curriculum intent is clear for all children. Staff plan a range of interesting and engaging activities. This supports children to be calm, relaxed and absorb information. Staff are skilled in engaging in children's play and developing their learning. For example, when babies role play with a shopping bag, staff introduce early language, such as 'carrots, potatoes' and 'supermarket'. Babies share books with staff. Staff encourage babies to lift the flaps of the books. They talk about the pictures using clear and calm language. Babies are deeply engaged. Children show positive attitudes to their learning and readily join in with new activities. Children's behaviour is good.

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

• Children learn about routines. They sit patiently at the table waiting for their lunch. Babies explore finger foods. Staff teach younger children to drink from beakers. However, older children do not have the opportunities to practise self-care skills. For instance, staff lay tables with beakers and cutlery, pour children their drinks and serve children plates with food already on. This minimises children's learning opportunities and does not support them to consistently learn the skills they need for school.
• Staff sing songs with babies about animals. They use props to teach them single words, such as 'fish' and 'shark'. Toddlers explore a sensory tray and search and match pictures of sea animals. Staff teach children early literacy skills. Older children create models of sea animals. They develop their hand-eye coordination, as they cut and paste resources. Children develop their small-muscle skills.
• Children have exciting opportunities to develop their large muscles. Staff teach children to climb steps, walk across beams and use a slide. Children develop their confidence as they balance and master new skills.
• Children learn about mathematics through fun games. Babies play with shape sorters and staff teach them about shape and size. They develop perseverance as they post shapes in the correct hole. Staff teach children how to complete inset jigsaws, providing them with encouragement to try again. Children twist and turn pieces until they complete the activity. Children develop their problem-solving skills.
• Staff consistently engage in communication with all children. They ask lots of questions to encourage children to explain what they are doing. However, on occasion, staff do not consistently allow children time to process questions and reply. This minimises children's learning opportunities.
• Staff implement strategies to identify and support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) well. They use observations to complete appropriate referrals. Staff complete support plans to evidence the further support children need and monitor their progress. Children receive targeted intervention. Staff remove all barriers to children accessing the nursery. This helps all children to make significant progress.
• Partnership working is strong. Staff have good links with parents and carers, schools and professionals to support children's continuity of care. They share strategies and provide support to parents to manage children's behaviour in the home. Staff have thorough transition plans, which they share with schools. Parents comment that they could not be happier with the quality of care that staff provide.
• Managers prioritise staff's well-being. Staff feel fully supported and have informal supervision. They have access to online learning to further their knowledge and development. However, managers do not carry out consistent appraisals. This means that staff do not always have formal opportunities to reflect on their practice and identify additional training that could enhance their knowledge and skills.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support children to develop the skills they need for their move on to school
• provide children with more time to process questions, think and engage in conversations, to give them time to respond and develop their language further
• embed supervision sessions and appraisals to focus on improving staff's individual knowledge and skills, to further develop their practice.