Footsteps Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Leaders and staff offer a warm welcome to children and families. They describe children's safety and emotional well-being as their 'top priority' and provide highly attentive care. This helps children to develop secure bonds right from the start. Children demonstrate that they feel happy and secure at the nursery. For instance, babies snuggle up with staff to share their own 'all about me' books. Pre-school-age children proudly point out their individual drawers where they store their work and belongings. Staff have high expectations for children's behaviour. They model kind and positive interactions and help children to understand their feelings well. Children benefit from staff's consistent guidance. They show high levels of respect for others and their behaviour is excellent.

Leaders and staff constantly reflect on the curriculum they offer to ensure that it is ambitious for all children. They provide a broad range of learning experiences to equip children with the skills and attitudes they need to succeed at school. For example, staff introduce mathematical concepts in fun and meaningful ways throughout the routines and activities. Therefore, children develop a secure understanding of how to count, measure and fit shapes together. Staff recognise the need to promote children's personal care skills. They provide support and encouragement as children learn to feed themselves, wash their hands and use the toilet. This helps children to secure their independence skills.

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

• Staff know children well. They plan clear and achievable targets to help them to make good progress. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are well supported. Staff work in partnership with parents, carers and external professionals to implement children's individual learning plans. This includes one-to-one support where needed, to ensure that all children benefit from the learning opportunities.
• The support for children's language and communication is strong throughout the nursery. For instance, staff place colourful pictures in the nappy changing areas to kindle interactions with babies and toddlers. They think carefully about the vocabulary they want children to learn and model this during discussions and activities. Children swiftly pick up new words and are keen to share what they know. For example, toddlers describe how polar bears are good swimmers.
• Children have opportunities to express themselves creatively, such as through imaginative role play and during 'messy play' with foam and sand. However, staff often have fixed ideas about what they want children to produce during art and craft activities. This limits the opportunities for children to decide how they want to use materials and express their own ideas when designing and making.
• Staff identify children's next steps in learning and plan experiences that reflect their interests. As a result, children are drawn to activities and show positive attitudes to their learning. For instance, staff create meaningful opportunities for pre-school-age children to make marks, such as writing lists and recording appointments during role play. Children are motivated to have a go and show pride in their early writing skills.
• Staff ensure that children are physically active each day. Babies and toddlers have climbing apparatus in their rooms, which enable them to practise movements such as going up and down steps. Children build further on these skills as they tackle the large outdoor climbing frame. They enjoy riding tricycles, playing ball games and taking part in activities such as ballet. This helps them to build good physical strength and coordination.
• Staff value the cultures and languages of children who attend. They use words from children's home languages and celebrate events that are special to their families. This helps to boost children's self-esteem. Children have fun learning about a range of cultural traditions. For instance, they create diva lamps during Diwali and visit Santa's grotto at Christmas. This promotes a positive appreciation for their similarities and differences.
• Leaders have clear oversight of the provision and constantly reflect on what they can do even better. There is a robust system in place to support staff's professional development and well-being. Staff retention is good. This helps parents and children to get to know staff well and build trusting relationships. Parents describe staff's genuine affection for children and say that they 'go the extra mile' to support their needs. They are kept well informed about their children's time at nursery, including their progress and the things that they enjoy.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• develop opportunities for children to explore different materials freely, to help to develop their ideas about how to use them and what to make.