Finlay Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children arrive happy and eager to explore the inviting learning environment. They move confidently between activities because staff plan a wide range of purposeful experiences that build securely on what children already know and can do. In both the two-year-old room and pre-school, staff set clear curriculum intentions. They adapt activities to match children's interests and abilities, ensuring that all children make consistently good progress. Children benefit from well-structured daily routines. With guidance from staff, they learn what is happening now and what will come next. This helps children to feel secure and to develop independence. Staff promote positive hygiene habits and social skills, encouraging children to sit and eat together. During snack time, staff extend children's communication and language skills, introducing new vocabulary and ideas. For example, they talk about how apples grow, helping children to connect real-life experiences with their learning. Staff strengthen children's early mathematical understanding. They encourage them to count pieces of fruit and compare quantities.

Outdoor learning is a regular feature of the curriculum and supports children's physical skills, health and well-being. Staff join in with children's play at their level, helping them to test ideas, solve problems and communicate their thinking. For example, children carefully transport water using containers and explain how they have created a pond for ducks. Staff use these moments to develop children's reasoning and vocabulary. Children develop early literacy skills, making marks with paintbrushes in foam. They navigate space safely as they ride on pedal tricycles, building strength, coordination and confidence.

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

• Leaders have made significant improvements since the last inspection. They have worked with the local authority improvement advisors to implement a broad, well-sequenced curriculum. Staff have been provided with effective training to enhance the quality of teaching. They report noticeable improvements across the setting and meet regularly to evaluate practice as a team. This helps to drive continuous ongoing improvements.
• Staff use a range of strategies to support children's understanding of positive behaviour and expectations. They act as positive role models and explain why rules are in place. For example, they remind children not to swing on chairs, helping them understand the risk of falling and keeping themselves safe. However, at times, some staff are not fully consistent in reinforcing behavioural expectations. They do not always follow up when children challenge boundaries or ensure that children respond to guidance. As a result, some children do not always cooperate or take part fully in activities, as they receive mixed messages about what is expected of them.
• Staff plan daily story and song times to support children's communication, language and early literacy skills. Children become familiar with songs and stories and generally listen well. They make links between picture cards and songs and can make choices about the songs they would like to sing. However, staff do not always adapt group times to make them fully interactive, which limits children's engagement and opportunities to practise new skills. For example, children sit while listening to stories and try to join in with actions while remaining seated. This reduces opportunities for them to move, explore and engage more actively with learning.
• Staff adapt and differentiate their teaching to meet the needs of all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). They use visual aids and tailored strategies to support understanding and social interactions. Children with SEND benefit from additional support and individual learning plans. Staff work closely with external professionals, such as speech and language professionals, to close gaps in learning and help every child make the progress they are capable of.
• Partnerships with parents are good and support children's development. Staff share information about children's learning and progress through daily conversations and digital platforms, helping parents continue learning at home. Parents are encouraged to join stay-and-play sessions and celebration events, such as pre-school graduation. Collaborative activities, such as a charity 'toddle' around the park, strengthens relationships, develops children's social skills and promotes a sense of community.
• Children take part in a wide range of activities that enrich the curriculum. Each week, a specialist teacher runs forest-school sessions, helping children enjoy outdoor learning and develop an understanding of managing risk safely. Health professionals visit the setting to teach children about their bodies and the effects of exercise on the heart. Leaders plan to introduce a tooth-brushing initiative to further support children's understanding of oral health and overall well-being.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• enhance the consistency of behavioural expectations to fully support children's understanding of what is expected of them
• support staff to make group times more interactive, so children can engage fully and strengthen their communication, language and early literacy skills.