Field House Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children enjoy a wide range of activities and experiences, helping them to gain fundamental skills they need for their future learning. Staff know the children well, including what interests and fascinates them. Staff plan room 'inspirations' to capture children's awe and wonder. For example, older children eagerly learn about the environment and growing as they plant vegetables and flowers. Toddlers enjoy continuing to develop an understanding of life cycles, after recently observing caterpillars developing into cocoons and butterflies. Staff continue this interest with discussions about habitats, minibeasts and associated craft activities. Babies' achievements are celebrated by staff. This supports children's mobility development and helps them to solve problems as they confidently explore tyres and ramps and take appropriate risks in their physical play.

Children form close bonds with their key person. Staff are extremely nurturing and caring in their interactions. They ensure that children's individual needs are met, recognising when they need additional reassurance and comfort. Staff have robust arrangements in place to support transitions between rooms. Consequently, children feel safe and secure. Staff have clear and consistent expectations for children's behaviour, emphasising kindness and respect. Children listen well to instructions and demonstrate a positive attitude to learning. As a result, all children make good progress in their learning.

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

• Staff benefit from strong and supportive leaders, who regularly monitor practice and are passionate about providing high-quality care and education. Staff receive regular supervision sessions and training opportunities to build on their good practice. Staff are enthusiastic and share the same passion and dedication. They report to inspectors that they feel supported and happy in their roles. This creates a happy and positive environment for children. Leaders have an accurate overview of the quality of the setting and put children at the heart of everything. They have a clear understanding of the strengths and areas for development.
• Staff implement an ambitious curriculum that reflects children's interests, curiosity and independence. Regular discussions between key persons, leaders and professionals ensure that gaps in learning are identified and addressed. Overall, interactions between staff and children are purposeful. However, at times, not all staff consistently recognise and respond to the spontaneous opportunities that arise during activities to stretch and challenge children's thinking and maximise progress even further.
• Staff use effective strategies to help children develop confidence in their communication and language development. They model language well and engage children in fun conversations. Children of all ages delight in singing familiar songs and rhymes along with actions. These regular activities support early vocabulary and support children to become confident communicators.
• Babies enjoy stimulating activities, and staff support them well. Babies move freely around the room, confidently selecting and exploring the resources. Staff plan the environment well to enable young children to investigate a range of equipment to support their sensory and mobility skills, such as crawling and negotiating different levels.
• Staff provide a fully inclusive and well-resourced nursery. Children are gaining a good understanding of what makes them unique. Staff support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities well. They work closely with parents and other professionals to put targeted plans in place. Leaders use additional funding wisely. For instance, they purchase resources and activities to support children's specific needs.
• Children thoroughly enjoy their time outdoors and the freedom to explore. They have many opportunities to discover nature in the fun outdoor spaces and forest school garden. Children delight in creating play with water, sand and dough. Older children have opportunities to use tools, such as scissors, paintbrushes and small garden equipment. They develop an understanding of the world as they make bird feeders to hang in the garden.
• Staff support children to be independent from an early age. For example, young children learn to feed themselves. Older children pour their drinks, serve their food and tidy away their plates at mealtimes. The nursery is well maintained and clean. Staff teach children good hygiene routines, such as handwashing, and hold discussions around oral hygiene. Effective key-person arrangements ensure that younger children's personal care routines and needs are met.
• Partnerships with parents are a strength of the nursery. Staff keep parents well informed through daily conversations, parents' meetings and online platforms. Parents are warmly welcomed into the nursery and have lovely conversations with the staff about their children. In addition, staff organise weekend events, such as outings for parents to attend and meet other families.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• enhance the consistency of staff's teaching to help them recognise and respond to spontaneous opportunities that arise to challenge children's thinking and maximise their learning even further.