Footsteps Nursery Dosthill

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are happy on arrival at nursery. They receive a warm welcome from staff and separate well from their parents. The learning environment is well planned and offers children a wide range of exciting learning opportunities. Children make choices about how they spend their time. They are curious, excited learners and engage skilfully in pretend play. Older children are keen to involve the inspector in their pirate play. They confidently explain where their pirate ship is and how their treasure is hidden.

Babies move with freedom and confidence across the indoor and outdoor learning space. They delight in joyful interactions with staff and seek them out for play and comfort. Babies are eager to share books with staff and become highly engaged in looking at the pictures and making animal noises. Staff lead songs and rhymes skilfully, and children join in with simple, familiar actions.

All staff encourage children to follow their interests and this further extends their motivation. Young children enjoy experiences that are linked to their current favourite book. They particularly enjoy a sensory opportunity to make 'Gruffalo crumble'. Staff model the language of the story and weave in mathematical concepts, such as full and empty. Children delight in using the resources and tools on offer for scooping and mixing which supports the development of their fine motor skills.

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

• Leaders have developed a clear and interesting curriculum that supports children's development well. They effectively supervise staff to promote their personal and professional development. This has a positive impact on the quality of provision across the nursery. Skilful teaching and quality interactions support all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, to make good progress.
• Staff develop extremely successful relationships with parents. They work closely with them to find out about children's routines and what they can already do when they start. There is frequent two-way sharing of information about the children's needs and progress. Staff find innovative ways of engaging parents to extend children's learning at home. For example, pre-school children have created story sacks at home to share with their peers.
• Children are encouraged to develop their own ideas. Staff skilfully support children in the pre-school room to build on their previously acquired knowledge. For example, children use their knowledge of materials and recycling to identify and sort items that are found in the nursery garden. Children enthusiastically and skilfully make models with the found items. They use their imagination to create 'turbo boosters' which they use in role play to blast off into space.
• Children benefit from regular access to outdoor play opportunities. Staff skilfully support their understanding of the natural world, and children engage in adventurous and risky play. Children delight in identifying and learning the names of bugs as they explore under large logs. They eagerly tell the inspector when they spot a centipede.
• Children are well supported to develop their independence and self-care skills. Staff teach children about the importance of good handwashing routines and encourage them to serve their own lunch. Children confidently use the serving spoons to scoop rice and vegetables onto their plate. Staff praise children as they competently use their cutlery for eating.
• Children develop their understanding of how they are expected to behave. Older children respond positively to instructions from staff members. They are able to play cooperatively with their friends and use good table manners. However, on occasions, staff do not consistently communicate their expectations to younger children when they display unwanted behaviour. This makes it more difficult for these children to understand the impact of their actions.
• Parents are extremely pleased with the service that their children receive. They comment on the warm relationships that staff nurture and describe how safe and secure children feel in their care. Parents are delighted with the strong progress that children make, particularly with regard to their speech and language. They also appreciate the sensitive transition process in place across the provision and when children leave to go to school

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• provide children with simple and consistent explanations in order to develop their understanding of acceptable behaviour and further support their ability to regulate their actions.