Fledglings At The Palace Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are extremely happy in this warm and nurturing environment. Staff and parents have strong relationships and take time to talk together when children arrive. This supports a seamless transition between home and nursery for children. Staff build strong bonds with children and know them very well. They praise children warmly when they show positive behaviour. For example, staff say 'well done for finding a chair to sit on'. This supports children's understanding of expected behaviours in the nursery and helps them to behave very well.

Children focus well on the variety of activities on offer. They play very well with their peers, taking turns and inventing role play together. Children make the most of exploring the beautiful garden. For example, they bang pots and pans, shovel leaves into toy trucks, balance along beams and throw balls through hoops. This helps children to make good overall progress in all areas of their development, having fun as they go.

Staff support children well to develop their problem-solving skills. For example, when children are using balance scales to explore weight, they discuss together how they can make one side of the scale go down. This supports children to develop critical thinking skills that will help them in their next stage of learning.

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

• The manager and staff team have worked hard to develop strong parent partnerships. Parents receive regular verbal feedback and information through an app to share what children have been doing each day. Parents speak highly of this communication and of the warmth of the staff.
• Most staff use high-quality interactions with the children. For example, in the baby room, staff make good use of repetition and comment throughout the day on what the children are doing. As babies shake musical instruments, staff repeat 'shake, shake, shake'. As pre-school children and toddlers mix play dough, staff talk with them about the 'soft' and 'squishy' texture of the play dough. This helps children to build their vocabulary. However, there are times when some staff do not use these skills consistently to interact with children as they play. On occasion, they stand back and observe children's play rather than maximising opportunities to develop children's communication and language skills.
• Staff teach children to be kind and caring to each other. Children are praised as they show acts of kindness towards each other. For example, staff praise children for being kind when they take the hand of another child and show them the ducks. Children take turns successfully as they play with their peers. For example, children take it in turns to place pieces into a puzzle as they work together to solve it. This demonstrates they are able to be patient and interact positively with their friends.
• Staff plan carefully to support children in developing their physical skills. Babies crawl over a ramp, cruise around furniture and begin to walk. Toddlers and pre-school children throw and kick balls and travel over the beam. They collect leaves and sticks and mix mud pies in the toy kitchen. Children strengthen the muscles in their hands through many opportunities throughout the day. For example, they draw shapes with chalk, paint and manipulate small parts. This ensures children are well prepared with the skills they need for writing.
• The manager and staff support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities well. They work well with other professionals and use strategies recommended by them to support these children. This ensures every child makes good progress.
• Staff make the most of the fabulous outdoor space. Children learn about how to look after animals through observing the ducks, and feeding and caring for them. They explore how the seasons change by discussing, playing with and feeling the texture of autumn leaves. This teaches children to look after the environment around them.
• Staff teach children to be independent. Very young children collect their own coat when it is time to go in the garden. Toddlers and pre-school children put on their coats and wellies with support and encouragement. Children proudly help to set the table. This helps children to build their confidence and self-esteem.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• plan more effectively to strengthen all staff interactions with children and develop their communication and language skills as they play.