First Steps Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are warmly welcomed by attentive staff who are genuinely pleased to see them. A settling-in process, along with good partnerships with parents, mean staff know the children well before they attend. Therefore, children demonstrate they are settled, confident and excited to attend. They leave their parents with ease and get busy with the activities provided. The management team is committed to providing good-quality teaching. The curriculum is planned to support children for a smooth transition to school. Activities support what children already know and their interests, along with seasonal themes, such as spring time. An inclusive environment and a variety of resources that are easily accessible on open shelving, help children self-select and initiate their own learning.

Children have established close and trusting bonds with their key person. For example, they are keen to sit with staff as they enjoy interactive stories at group time. They confidently approach staff when they want reassurance or help. The staff are nurturing and reassuring role models, and offer children praise for their efforts. Children understand the rules and expectations of the nursery and play well together, showing kindness and concern for their friends. Therefore, children's behaviour is good.

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

• The quality of teaching is good. The education programme ensures learning for all children. Discussion with parents and accurate observations of the children mean staff know them and their abilities well. Adult-led activities are planned to support children's interests. Attentive staff provide meaningful, running commentaries during activities, and introduce new words to extend children's vocabulary. Children demonstrate they are confident communicators.
• While children are offered a broad curriculum, where there is a strong focus on supporting children's personal and emotional development and promoting the skills needed to be independent learners, it is not consistently challenging. Therefore, sometimes, staff do not best support the most able children to build on what they already know and extend their knowledge to an even higher level.
• The management and team works hard to establish positive, working relationships with parents. Annual questionnaires are also used to encourage parents to share their views and have a say in how the nursery operates.
• Parents express their complete satisfaction in all aspects of the nursery. They comment that the staff are kind and caring and that their children are keen to attend. They say their children are making good progress as a result of attending.
• A robust recruitment process ensures children are cared for by experienced and qualified staff who are suitable to do so. Staff comment on the support they receive through regular supervision, monitoring of practice and are positively encouraged to complete ongoing training opportunities to strengthen their knowledge further. They understand this has a positive impact on improving outcomes for children.
• Overall, the session runs smoothly throughout the morning, and children are engaged and busy in their play. However, as a result of temporary refurbishment to the pre-school room, the organisation at transition times, such as preparation for lunchtime, means children's play is interrupted and staff are sometimes busy with other tasks and children are not engaged in meaningful learning.
• Babies are settled, happy and play in a bright and cosy room. Staff speak respectfully to them and ensure they follow their individual routines. Caring staff cuddle and soothe babies as they enjoy their bottles and prepare for a nap. They listen carefully and have fun singing familiar songs. They show curiosity as they enjoy the feel of sand and other sensory activities available to them.
• Children learn the importance of a healthy lifestyle through planned activities and routines in place. For example, they know to wash their hands before eating and when visiting the bathroom. They are reminded to drink water to keep hydrated, and how to appropriately dispose of tissues used for their nose.
• Children enjoy fresh air and relish their time outdoors. They giggle as they use hoops and encourage visitors to the nursery to have a go. However, staff are not yet planning effectively, or using the garden frequently, to promote learning outdoors, in the same way as indoors, to fully support those children who prefer outdoor learning.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• plan more opportunities within the curriculum to challenge children's thinking to consistently build on what they already know and can do
• improve the organisation of transition times to ensure that all children are fully engaged, and play is not interrupted at these times
• strengthen learning opportunities and frequency of outdoor play to support those who prefer to learn outdoors.