Fledglings Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children make exceptional progress in their behaviour and self-care skills at this welcoming nursery. They are supported by dedicated staff who have the highest expectations. Staff are impressively good role models. Children mimic staff's qualities in abundance, such as demonstrating their confidence and self-control, particularly when meeting new people.

The experienced staff show genuine interest in the children and expertly extend their learning. They use skilled interventions at every opportunity. Staff encourage children to think and develop their curiosity. For example, while on a forest walk children ask questions about what animals may live in holes in trees. They discuss whether it could be a fox and that they live under the tree roots. Children reflect on previous experiences as they look for horses in a nearby field using their binoculars. They excitedly discover a deer laying down in the grass and offer their friends a chance to see the deer as they share their binoculars.

There is a wonderful and extremely calm atmosphere throughout the nursery. Children are engaged, busy and occupied. They behave exceptionally well and show respect to their friends.

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

• The dedicated managers are passionate and strive for excellence. They lead the nursery with great determination and commitment. Managers place an exceptional focus on staff's well-being, ensuring they are supported, mentored and feel valued. Staff have plentiful opportunities to pursue their passion in early years. They demonstrate an excellent understanding of the early years foundation stage requirements.
• Children of all ages relish the time they spend outdoors in the nursery garden and the nearby woods. Staff teach them about safely crossing roads and why they need to hold an adult's hand. As children enter the woods, they are amazed at the icy puddles that have frozen, and jump on them saying that they 'crack' as they break the ice. Staff encourage them to rise to physical challenges as they climb up icy hills on their hands and knees and slide down the other side on their bottoms.
• Communication and language are promoted exceptionally well. Staff model back- and-forth communication with babies, listening to their babbles and responding with spoken words. Staff read stories and sing rhymes with enthusiasm and encourage children to take part as they predict and finish rhyming refrains. Children learn about sounds and the letters they represent and proudly finish words out loud when prompted.
• The experienced special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) staff attend regular training to update their skills and knowledge. They share this information with the team. This helps to ensure all practitioners are as skilled as possible to meet the needs of the children. Practitioners identify children with SEND swiftly. Additional help is sought promptly to enable children to make the best progress from their first day at nursery.
• Professional development is a key to the success of the nursery. All practitioners, from the leadership team down, embark on continuous training to develop their skills, qualifications and knowledge. Committed staff are keen to meet the children's needs. They take time to research children's languages and abilities. As a result, staff ensure they provide the best possible opportunities for the children who attend. The staff work hard to ensure transitions for children are seamless. This is from when they start at the nursery, to moving into the next age group, and on to school. This helps to ensure their ongoing well-being and sense of security.
• Parents cannot speak highly enough about the nursery. They are unreservedly thrilled with the communication they receive, both verbally and via the online app. They are exceptionally pleased with the way that staff support children to move between settings and rooms. They also say that they cannot believe the progression their children make and the things that they learn.