Flora House Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are happy and confident in this welcoming and nurturing nursery. Staff greet children with big smiles and cheery 'good mornings'. Children who are upset when they leave their parents are comforted with cuddles and caring words. Staff take time to help children settle when they arrive. This promotes children's feelings of being safe and secure in the environment. Children enjoy being outdoors and show their pleasure at learning to take measured risks. Younger children are encouraged to climb onto the slide. They learn how to manoeuvre their bodies to the top of the slide. They smile with pride as they accomplish their goal. Children relish the praise which they receive from staff for their achievements.

Older children run around the garden excitedly chasing bubbles. They learn about the natural world as they shout 'the bubbles are escaping' as they blow high into the sky. Children show confidence in their physical skills as they jump up to catch the bubbles and bend down to reach the bubbles on the ground. Babies delight in practising their new walking skills. They look in amazement as they stand on their own, waving their arms and tentatively moving their legs forward. Staff encourage babies and tell them, 'You can do it' and 'You can walk.' This helps to develop children's motivation to have a go for themselves.

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

• All staff know how to speak to children slowly and give children time to respond. They look at children as they talk to them and use the correct pronunciation. However, staff do not consistently extend children's vocabulary when they play or during routines. For example, on occasions, staff do not introduce new vocabulary or different words that have the same meanings into children's language.
• Older children know to use soap and water to wash their hands after using the toilet or before eating. Staff help younger children learn to do this for themselves. However, at these times, staff do not help children to deepen their understanding of keeping themselves healthy. For instance, staff do not explain to children the reasons why they need to wash their hands.
• Staff foster children's love of books across the nursery. They sit with babies as they feel the different textures on the pages of books. Children confidently take books to staff, knowing that they will be read. This helps to support children's emotional well-being and feelings of being valued.
• Staff know children very well. They confidently discuss where children are in their learning and what it is they want children to learn next. Staff plan activities to support children with their future development. For example, they hold babies' hands and encourage them to pull themselves up to a standing position.
• Children's behaviour is very good. Older children show high levels of respect for each other. They automatically invite other children to join their play, moving aside and sharing resources. Staff are consistent in the ways they teach young children about sharing and taking turns.
• Staff are very well supported by managers. For example, they have ongoing opportunities to engage in professional development opportunities to enhance their knowledge and practice. This helps children to benefit from a good range of learning experiences and develop a positive approach towards their own learning.
• Managers and staff are proficient in supporting children with special educational needs and disabilities. They work in partnership with parents and other agencies to ensure that children and families get the help they need.
• Parents are very complimentary about the service the nursery provides. They stress the value to their children and themselves of the discussions at the beginning and end of their child's day. Parents describe the friendliness, support and care of the staff team. Parents appreciate the flexibility of the nursery in helping them to meet the challenges of their working lives.
• Managers have a clear vision for future developments at the nursery. For example, they discuss in detail the recent changes that have been made to the outdoor provision to support children's development.
• Partnership with local schools is a key feature of the nursery. Managers talk of how they share information of children's development with their feeder schools. They hope, with the lifting of the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions, to restart visits to schools with children and parents. This helps children to be confident and prepared to enter the next phase of their learning.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• extend children's communication skills even further by helping them to learn new vocabulary
• help children to deepen their understanding of why they need to keep themselves healthy.