Footsteps Nursery Walmley

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children enjoy their time at this welcoming nursery. They build strong relationships with the kind and nurturing staff. Children are very sociable and form firm friendships with their peers. They are kind and thoughtful towards each other. For example, a child pats another on their back when they cough. Children are enthusiastic as they talk about what they enjoy, such as taking part in forest school sessions. Staff provide children with lots of praise, encouragement, cuddles and comfort. Consequently, children demonstrate high levels of self-esteem and confidence.

Children enjoy story time and looking at books. Staff use these times to promote children's language skills as they introduce new words. Staff encourage older children to predict what happens next. Staff support children's understanding of mathematics. They count as toddlers scoop up sand. Older children learn to recognise numbers and solve simple addition and subtraction problems. Staff provide a calm and nurturing environment for babies. Babies are curious and independent learners. They confidently crawl or toddle around the room as they choose what they want to play with. Children are friendly, outgoing individuals who show a positive attitude towards learning. All children, including those children with special education needs and/or disabilities (SEND), make good progress from their starting points.

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

• The manager has devised a well-sequenced curriculum that covers all areas of learning. Overall, the curriculum takes account of children's learning needs and their current interests. However, at times some planned activities are not always fully effective in supporting children's learning.
• The manager has good systems to support staff's professional development. For instance, she observes staff working with the children and gives feedback on their performance. She looks to support any areas for further development with focused training.
• The manager ensures additional government funding is used effectively to support those children for whom it is intended. For example, children benefit from regular one-to-one support.
• Staff support children's communication skills well. Babies thoroughly enjoy singing sessions and listening to stories. Staff use warm facial expressions and good eye contact as they acknowledge babies' babbles and gestures. Staff help toddlers to increase their vocabulary and build short sentences. Older children enjoy lots of conversations throughout the day.
• Children learn to take responsibility and do things for themselves. Babies start to feed themselves, toddlers learn to put on their coats and older children serve their lunches. Staff ensure that children know their opinions and views are valued. For example, children take part in a children's committee where they are involved in making decisions and choices about activities and events in the nursery.
• Children enjoy exploring the garden. They search for items and are keen to use tally charts to record what they find. Children work as a team as they design and build a ladder and slide. They discuss how they can use the different items they gather from around the garden, such as tyres and pieces of wood.
• Staff support children to develop their physical skills. Outdoors, children climb, play chasing games and ride around on wheeled toys. Children enjoy activities that develop their small-muscle skills, control and coordination. For example, they use scissors to cut fresh herbs and press, squeeze and manipulate dough.
• Staff have high expectations for children's behaviour. Children are familiar with and are willing to follow the nursery rules and routines. They share, take turns and play cooperatively.
• Staff support children with SEND well. The special educational needs coordinator (SENCo) works closely with children's key persons, parents and outside agencies. They ensure targeted plans are in place to help these children to make the best possible progress.
• The manager prioritises children's safety. She ensures all staff who handle and serve food are aware of children's dietary needs. Staff ratios are maintained and staff are deployed effectively to ensure children are supervised closely at all times.
• Parents speak very highly of the nursery. The comment on how their children enjoy attending and the good progress they make. Staff share home-learning packs and library books with parents. This enables them to continue their children's learning at home. However, staff do not always fully support parents to help speed up children's acquisition of toileting skills.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support staff to consistently provide activities that match precisely to children's learning needs and interests
• work more closely with parents to help accelerate children's acquisition of toileting skills.