Folly Farm Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children arrive happy and excited for their day at nursery. Children feel safe and secure and demonstrate this through strong bonds with their key person. Babies and young children show a keen interest in books and staff have high expectations for children to develop their early literacy skills. For example, they provide props to encourage children to re-enact the story of 'The Three Little Pigs', to help the children bring the story to life. Children have opportunities to develop their physical skills. In the large garden, children enjoy climbing up and rolling down the grass hill, using the climbing frame and the wheeled toys.

Children behave well. They demonstrate high levels of respect and understanding. For example, older children manage sharing independently by using a sand timer to take turns when using the equipment. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the management team has placed great importance on ensuring children develop their emotional resilience and well-being. Children show care and consideration towards each other. Staff skilfully support children's emotional intelligence and well-being. For example, staff read stories about feelings and emotions. They remind children to 'fill up each other's buckets with kindness', which supports the children to build relationships with their peers.

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

• A knowledgeable and enthusiastic management team leads the nursery. It makes sure that practice is monitored and any training needs are identified. Staff who are training are assigned mentors to provide feedback on practice and also benefit from excellent well-being support. Staff equally reflect on their own practice and attend training to help support children's communication and language. This provides them with knowledge to promote children's early literacy skills and strategies to support children's understanding. For example, staff consistently use Makaton signing. Staff carefully introduce new vocabulary, taking time to repeat and reaffirm this learning with the children.
• Children are well prepared for their next stage in learning. Staff demonstrate a secure understanding of the early years curriculum and use the children's interests and starting points to guide this. Staff consistently encourage children to manage their own self-care. Children are very independent and support their own hygiene needs. Younger children are encouraged to wipe their own nose. At mealtimes, children learn to serve themselves and clear their plates into the compost bin.
• Support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) is strong. The nursery's special educational needs coordinator (SENCo) works closely with staff to ensure they provide an inclusive environment for the children. The SENCo is knowledgeable and implements clear strategies in close partnerships with parents and other professionals. This has contributed to the rapid progress that all children are making over short periods of time.
• Partnerships with parents are strong. Parents praise the staff team and comment on the progress their children have made. Parents receive termly reports to keep them updated on their children's learning and development. Additionally, parents attend family events, such as a summer fete and coffee mornings. The arrangements to support home learning were paused during the COVID-19 pandemic. This means children are not supported to continue their learning at home to support their ongoing development.
• Staff organise opportunities for children to have experiences within their local community. For example, the children enjoy visits from local companies and professionals. This widens children's experiences and supports their knowledge of the local area. However, staff plan fewer opportunities to help children to develop a broader understanding of people and cultures beyond their own experience.
• Children are given numerous opportunities to learn outside in all weathers. Babies enthusiastically jump and splash in the puddles, showing delight, while older children develop physical skills in the challenging gardens, such as climbing in the large tyres or running up and down the grass hills.
• Staff support children to develop a good understanding of healthy lifestyles. Children are provided with healthy and nutritious food. During mealtimes, staff encourage children's understanding as they talk about the benefits of eating vegetables.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• provide a consistent two-way flow of information between home and nursery to enhance children's development further
• provide opportunities for children to develop their knowledge of diversity and enhance their understanding of communities beyond their own.