Fig Tree Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children happily leave their parents at the nursery door and enter the premises confidently. They take off their coats and hang them up along with their personal bags on their designated peg. Children are greeted enthusiastically by the staff who work with them in their rooms. Children who are cared for on the first floor of the building climb the stairs independently. They know to hold onto the banister to keep themselves safe.

Children enjoy their time at this welcoming nursery. They quickly engage in a good range of activities that the staff provide for them. Staff encourage children to have a go and keep trying. For example, younger children learn about different sizes to support their mathematical development. They compare the sizes of clothes as they recall a familiar story about three bears. Children have fun as they try on different-sized jumpers. Staff interact well with the children as they help them to work out which jumper is small, medium or big. Children are familiar with daily routines and understand what is expected of them. They behave well. Children build secure attachments with staff and develop good friendships with their peers. For example, older children initiate imaginative games among themselves, using ribbons and balancing on low-level blocks.

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

• Children's personal, social and emotional development is supported well by the staff team. Staff place a strong emphasis on helping children to be polite and well mannered. They use lots of praise, such as 'well done' and 'good job', to raise children's self-esteem and confidence. Words such as 'please' and 'thank you' are regularly used by children. Additionally, children help to tidy away activities and proudly show off their achievements to staff.
• Partnerships with parents are strong. Parents comment on how well their children are progressing in their development. Additionally, they comment on how their children talk positively about their day at nursery and what activities they have been doing. Parents state that staff keep them up to date about their child's progress through verbal conversations and an electronic application platform.
• Children are well prepared for the next stage of their learning, such as school. During circle time, children listen intently. They show good levels of concentration and eagerly participate in discussions with the staff. Children guess what items are inside the box. Staff extend the activity as they emphasise the initial sound in words that they model to the children to support their early understanding of phonics.
• The manager is a good role model for the staff. She has a clear understanding of how she wants the curriculum to be delivered and implemented by her staff to support children's learning. However, sometimes, the staff focus too much on planning activities for all children rather than planning what they want individual children to learn next.
• Overall, children's communication and language development is supported well. Older children confidently engage in conversation with staff. They talk about what clothes they need to wear to keep warm. Staff introduce new words, such as 'snood', as they discuss items of clothing that could be worn when the weather is cold. However, some staff who work with younger children are over-enthusiastic and talk too quickly. As a result, these children do not always have the time to think and respond to questions.
• On occasions, some staff do not make the most of spontaneous learning experiences to develop and extend children's knowledge further. For example, during outside play, staff do not engage or interact with children to help them explore the ice and understand what happens to water when it freezes.
• Children's health is promoted well by staff. They have regular opportunities for outdoor play. Children are offered healthy food, such as fresh fruit, and milk to drink at snack time.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• help staff to tailor and plan more precise activities and experiences to support children's individual learning needs further
• give younger children more time to think and respond to questions
• help staff to make the best use of their engagement and interaction with younger children to further enhance their learning and development.