First Friends Nursery School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children quickly settle to play on arrival. They build positive and caring relationships with staff. Children have a strong understanding about the expectations and daily routines. For example, older children line up and wait sensibly until staff have counted them, before walking calmly outside to play. Staff support younger children's recognition of their emotions and feelings consistently, such as using books and talking about their feelings. Children develop skills and knowledge to support their future learning successfully. For instance, many children gain high levels of confidence. They build their independence effectively, such as young children pouring their drinks and older children using tongs to serve their healthy snacks.

Staff have a strong knowledge and understanding of children's individual learning needs. They generally provide consistent and effective interactions to children. Staff gain a wide range of information about children's backgrounds and individual needs when children start. This helps them include these successfully. For example, staff provide dual language books and support the use of children's home languages. Staff work very effectively with parents and other professionals to provide seamless support for children with additional needs. They regularly assess children's progress and identify their next steps in learning. Staff incorporate children's interests very well in the positive learning environment. They mainly offer very carefully planned and interesting activities, which successfully promote children's enthusiasm for their play and learning.

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

• Leaders are very familiar to staff and children. They monitor the quality of practice consistently and identify improvements. For instance, leaders have revised induction processes to strengthen these, which helps new staff understand their roles and responsibilities securely. There are very good support systems provided to staff, both for their well-being and professional development. This includes supervision arrangements and the development of their ongoing practice, such as through training.
• The curriculum is well-thought-out and sequenced. Staff consider children's different learning needs effectively. They have a strong understanding of the learning intentions of activities and play experiences. They know children very well and their key children's next steps in learning. This enables staff to support and promote children's progress securely.
• Staff plan and offer children a variety of play resources and activities which promote their engagement in learning. Occasionally, some areas are not as well resourced, particularly for the older children outside. For instance, many older children enjoyed the mud kitchen. However, there were not many resources to choose from, to help enhance and develop their play further.
• Children with additional needs are very well supported. This includes children who speak English as an additional language and those who need more support for their learning and development. Staff use a variety of strategies to engage with children, including Makaton signing and picture cards to support communication. In addition, the nursery's special educational needs coordinator provides small group and individual activities tailored to children's needs. For example, children benefit from language-focused activities, which develop their pronunciation and widens their vocabulary.
• Children confidently make their own choices about what to do. They explore and investigate resources and activities with curiosity. At times, staff do not always consider supporting children who happily play with resources and activities by themselves, to help extend their learning further.
• Staff promote children's relationships with each other, such as playing games of catch. They positively praise children for their efforts. Staff support children's understanding about the behaviour expectations from the youngest age group, such as turn taking and sharing. This was seen during the inspection, when younger children played a game of lotto and took turns and made decisions as a group. In addition, the game supported children's listening and concentration skills effectively.
• Children learn about healthy lifestyles. Staff provide healthy snacks, such as a wide range of fruit and vegetables. Children become independent in their self-care, including visiting the toilet and washing their hands. Staff promote children's awareness of caring for their bodies, such as learning about dental health.
• Staff have strong partnerships with parents, other professionals and local schools. They exchange information effectively with everyone involved in children's care and learning. This provides a consistent approach to meeting children's needs. Staff provide effective information and support to provide a successful move to school for children. Parents are very complimentary about the nursery and their children's experiences there.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• enhance staff's awareness of children who are quieter or more content to play alone to provide more effective teaching and support to these children
• enhance resources for the older children, particularly outdoors, to promote their play experiences and choices further.