Flying High Nursery School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Staff are attentive and offer good support to babies who are settling. They help them feel safe. Children show a sense of belonging and are happy and confident. Staff skilfully combine children's interests and books to offer creative learning experiences across the curriculum. For example, children recall the story and confidently talk about how the characters feel. Children are motivated to create their own houses using dough, straw and pebbles. Staff ask questions to make children think and build successfully on their knowledge and learning.

Children in pre-school and toddlers show a keen interest in exploring mathematical concepts. For example, a planned visit from an ice-cream van leads to children matching the correct number of pom-poms to the number on the ice-cream cones. Children recognise numbers, sort and count as they play. Children in the toddler room show sustained levels of engagement as they use a range of utensils to squeeze the juice from oranges. Staff introduce new concepts and reinforce children's learning as they consider weight, capacity and measurement.

All children thoroughly enjoy books, singing, and dance and movement. They understand that their actions have consequences and work extremely well in groups. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities benefit from individual staff attention to help them communicate and ensure they are engaged.

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

• Significant progress has been made to tackle the actions and recommendations raised at the last inspection. The new manager, employed since the last inspection, is highly motivated, well qualified and experienced. She ensures the programme of activities delivered gives all children, including the most disadvantaged, the experiences and skills they need for future learning.
• The registered individual and manager ensure staff at all levels are rigorously monitored and supported to increase their knowledge and skills. The manager places a sharp focus on monitoring the quality of teaching across the nursery. She incisively supports new staff to help them maintain the good standards achieved. Staff are enthusiastic and speak highly of the management team and the training and support they receive.
• The nursery remained open during the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic and offered care to many of the vulnerable children attending and those in the local area. However, some did not attend throughout and staff swiftly identified these children. For example, the younger children, children with SEND and those who speak English as an additional language fell further behind than others, particularly in their language skills, behaviour, making relationships and physical development. Staff carefully monitor these children and work very closely with parents to continue to close these gaps in their learning.
• Staff know children and families extremely well. The bilingual staff speak many of the languages spoken by the parents and offer good guidance to them on parenting and health issues. Parents speak highly of the support they receive and the progress their children make, particularly in their language and social skills.
• Promoting children's language, literacy and mathematical development is a clear priority, and children make good progress. Girls thoroughly enjoy the writing and mathematical activities provided. However, boys' attainment is not as high as the girls as they are not always as motivated by the activities on offer.
• Staff help children develop good habits as they teach them how to prevent the spread of infection. They skilfully motivate children to learn about healthy eating, good oral hygiene and the importance of exercise. Children thoroughly enjoy being outdoors in the fresh air, and staff help them to test and extend their physical skills. However, staff caring for babies do not give enough consideration to how they can offer increased opportunities for babies to crawl and climb.
• The clear focus staff place on children talking about their emotions helps children learn to manage their feelings. Staff help children learn about their own and others' customs and the various languages spoken. Staff skilfully teach children about how to keep safe. For example, children confidently talk about the danger of strangers and explore how they can keep safe.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support staff to gain a deeper understanding of how to enhance the curriculum and raise the attainment of boys even further
• monitor the educational programmes more rigorously to help identify areas for further development, such as providing increased opportunities for babies to crawl and climb.