First Steps at Cansfield

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children thrive at this very friendly, safe and welcoming nursery. They enjoy attending and part from their parents and carers with ease at the door on arrival. Once inside, children become deeply engaged and enthusiastic in their play. The activities planned by staff are based on children's interests. For example, staff and children happily sing counting songs about their favourite superheroes together in the garden. This reinforces their previous learning about numbers.

Children develop close bonds with staff, which supports them to become confident individuals. Staff have high expectations for children's learning and behaviour. This helps children to prepare for their future learning and the eventual transition to school. Children persevere with tasks that at first seem challenging. For example, children concentrate intensely when cutting into the thick rinds of lemons in the play kitchen. They encourage each other to succeed and feel a sense of accomplishment when they complete the task. Staff skilfully introduce new vocabulary, such as 'rind', 'peel', 'seed' and 'sour', which the children repeat and use in their own speech. They delight and giggle when tasting lemons. This increases their motivation and eagerness to play and learn.

Babies and toddlers are inquisitive and explore their surroundings. They show secure emotional attachments as they enjoy cuddles from staff. They benefit from the calm and nurturing environment the staff provide.

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

• Leaders have a clear vision for the curriculum. They have identified that the areas of communication and language and mathematics are what they need to focus on to help children make the best possible progress.
• Staff have a detailed understanding of what children know and can do. They plan engaging learning activities so that children develop a sense of awe and wonder. For example, children cut melons up using age-appropriate knives. They scoop out the seeds and take them outside to plant in the soil. Staff and children talk together about what might happen if the seeds grow. As a result, children develop a respect for nature and begin to understand how things grow.
• Staff provide children with ample opportunity to develop their mathematical skills. Babies listen intently as staff read stories about numbers. Toddlers count the petals of a sunflower as they paint. Older children sing with excitement as they count snapping crocodiles.
• Children with emerging special educational needs and/or disabilities are well supported in this inclusive environment. Staff make swift referrals for help on behalf of children in their care. They work with parents and other professionals to gain access to specific support. Staff are patient, nurturing and attentive to children's needs.
• Parents and carers speak very highly of the staff and the nursery. They comment that they are kept up to date with their child's progress and development. Parents say staff are friendly and work hard to help settle new children quickly.
• Staff interact well with children. They are sensitive and encouraging in their approach, which helps children to feel self-assured. However, occasionally, staff in the baby room do not always give children adequate time to think and respond to questions before another question is asked. This does not support children to develop their thinking skills even further. Overall, however, all children make good progress from their starting points.
• Leaders and staff have developed a range of resources and toys designed to teach children about diversity. However, these resources are not always readily available for children to play with. This means they are not consistently taught about the diverse world they live in.
• The transition between rooms and to school is effective and well organised. Children are prepared well for each stage. Leaders and staff use a 'key-buddy' system which means that when a child's key person is not in, children still have someone they are very familiar with to go to for help. This supports children's confidence and enjoyment of nursery.
• Staff work consistently to develop children's sense of independence. For example, children in the pre-school room self-serve at lunchtime and conduct their personal care without help. As a result, children feel empowered and happily declare, 'I can do it by myself'.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• help staff to develop their teaching skills further to allow children enough time to think and respond to questions
• provide further opportunities for children to learn about the diverse world in which they live.