Footsteps Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Staff know children in the nursery very well. When children first start, staff take time to learn about their interests, home lives and stages of development. This helps children to settle in comfortably. A strong key-person system focuses on children's well-being and personal growth. Children are happy at the nursery. They grow and form good bonds with staff because of staff's warm, caring and thoughtful interactions. Children's behaviour is good. Staff set clear expectations, which they explain to children at the start of each session. Children confidently remember to share, take turns, listen and use good manners. The nursery has a calm and focused atmosphere, with all children playing well together.

Managers and staff are committed to helping all children to make the best progress possible. They follow a progressive curriculum, which focuses on what children need to learn next, considers their interests and prepares them well for transition to school. Staff prioritise supporting children's communication, language, social skills and independence development. They adjust their support to help children with their language development, using tools such as visual aids and signs. This helps children to express their feelings and communicate their needs effectively.

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

• Managers offer plenty of support to staff, who highly value and appreciate this guidance. They ensure that staff participate in training tailored to their individual needs and help them improve their skills, such as incorporating mathematics in early years. Managers also encourage staff to take responsibility for their own learning, using reflection tools to assess their practice and identify areas for further training.
• Parents and carers value the information that staff share to help support their children's development at home. They appreciate the daily feedback that staff give during pick-up times. Additionally, parents are very pleased with the progress their children make at the nursery.
• Children have many chances to develop their independence. For example, they learn to use the toilet, wash their hands and put on their coats. Staff help children to build these skills from an early age. In the baby room, babies have the opportunity to self-feed with spoons, while in the toddler room, staff introduce children to using cutlery with some support. In the pre-school room, children show more confidence and responsibility, such as by helping to set up for mealtimes.
• Children play outdoors and practise their physical skills. For example, they learn to pedal bicycles and climb. Children persist as they use a custom-designed climbing frame that suits their different developmental stages. They are eager to try new things and receive encouraging praise from staff for their efforts.
• Staff recognise and celebrate the diversity of children and families at the nursery. They make sure to incorporate learning experiences that teach all children about the religions, traditions and events that are meaningful to their friends. They are fully dedicated to ensuring that the nursery is inclusive for everyone.
• Staff encourage children to explore books and offer a variety of sensory resources for babies to interact with, fostering an early love for books. They introduce new vocabulary, ask thoughtful questions and talk about children's play, helping them to become confident communicators.
• Staff model and scaffold learning well to children. They encourage children to discuss their likes and dislikes and interact well with children in their play. They ask questions to check children's understanding and allow children sufficient time to think and respond to questions. However, at times, particularly during group activities, all children do not benefit from the same positive interactions due to the large size of the groups.
• Staff ensure that children experience a healthy lifestyle while at the nursery. They provide a variety of fruits and vegetables at mealtimes and have drinking stations available to help children stay hydrated. The dedicated catering team collaborates with staff to manage children's dietary needs and intolerances effectively. During mealtimes, staff support children in understanding which foods contribute to a healthy diet.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• review group activities to maximise all children's learning.