Flower Pots Day Nursery (Chesham)

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are encouraged to have a positive attitude to learning. They are developing the skills they need to manage and regulate their behaviour. Staff provide lots of positive praise throughout the day, such as 'well done' and 'fantastic teamwork'. Children get excited when they have done something well. Staff invite them to place a gem into the 'helpfulness jar'. Once the jar is full, children are invited to choose an activity of their choice. Children are learning to have good hygiene skills. They 'catch their cough', by putting their hands in front of their mouth, wipe their nose with a tissue and put it in the bin.

Children enjoy baking bread. They take turns adding the ingredients and learn new vocabulary, such as 'combine'. Children develop their physical strength; they use tongs to serve their lunch and tweezers to pick up pine-cones. Babies learn to climb in and out of the ball pool and confidently push 'baby walkers' around the room.

Children are prepared in readiness for school. For example, they scrape their food off their plate after mealtimes and wipe their faces clean. Children learn they need to wash their hands before they eat their food. Staff encourage babies to learn to feed themselves during mealtimes, providing plenty of time and encouragement.

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

• Effective recruitment procedures ensure that all staff working with children are suitable to do so. Staff who do not have full clearance, are placed on restricted duties until they have been fully vetted.
• A detailed induction is provided to help staff understand how to follow the policies and procedures and keep children safe. This is followed by regular supervision to monitor their practice and well-being, despite this some staff are less confident in their role and responsibilities.
• Leaders and managers have a clear vision for the curriculum implemented across the setting. For example, in the baby room, their top priority is for the key person to develop a secure relationship with the children.
• Staff understand the needs of each child, including those with special education needs and/or disabilities. They identify their interests to plan and provide a varied curriculum. Although on occasions the priority for learning is not given sufficient focus. For example, staff do not always explain the meaning of new words they introduce to the children.
• The key-person system is effective. This helps to provide emotional stability for the children who attend. When children transition from one room to another, staff exchange information with the new key person. This enables staff to be aware of children's needs, to target the care and support required.
• Staff help children to understand differences. For example, they make handprints using skin colour paint and celebrate different festivals. Staff read stories to help children learn about the Chinese and Lunar New Year. Babies enjoy looking at photos of their families, which are displayed around the room. This gives them a sense of security.
• Parents comment on how the staff are calm and approachable. They receive detailed feedback about their child's progress and well-being. Regular newsletters highlight the curriculum provided for each age range, and what parents can do at home to support their child.
• Leaders and managers share information with other settings children attend, such as assessment reports to help support continuity of children's care and learning. They develop partnerships with local schools, which help to identify how they can best prepare children in readiness for their move to school.
• Staff share books with children throughout the day, to help them gain a love of books. Children self-select stories from the wide range available, they enjoy cuddling up with staff to talk about the pictures they see.
• Staff encourage younger children join in with familiar rhymes, they move their body from side to side and clap, showing a sense of achievement. Older children dance with excitement, shaking their musical instruments, as they choose songs they love to sing.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• sharpen the focus of the planned curriculum, so that staff are clear on what they want children to learn from the activities provided
• extend the levels of support provided to staff, to build on their confidence and understanding of their role and responsibilities.