Forest Barn Nursery School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are greeted by warm and welcoming staff as they arrive at the nursery. They settle quickly and make independent play choices from a good range of age-appropriate resources. Children develop close relationships with staff, who know them well. They smile and laugh as they play and interact with staff and each other.

Children are confident learners, who are keen to explore. For example, during a melting experiment, older children talk about hot and cold and then watch intently to see what happens when warm water is poured over snow. Children of all ages develop a love of books. Babies snuggle onto the laps of staff and confidently lift the flaps on board books and show interest in the pictures. Older children enjoy listening to stories and enter into meaningful conversations afterwards about the story and characters. This helps to promote their recall and understanding.

Children have opportunities to play in a variety of interesting outside areas within the farmland setting. They particularly enjoy playing inside a converted Nissen Hut. Children have fun as they enthusiastically peddle ride-on tractors, fill buckets with hay and climb up the stairs to play in the wooden playhouse. This promotes children's imagination and helps to support their physical development.

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

• There is a strong leadership and management structure in place. Leaders and managers have a high expectation and clear vision to provide high-quality care and learning for children. The leadership team works with the managers to review procedures and provide advice and support. This helps to continually raise the quality of the provision and improve the experiences for children.
• The management team use regular observations and supervision meetings to give staff support. They ensure staff have access to training to improve their knowledge and skills. Staff advise they feel supported, and their well-being is considered. They are enthusiastic in their roles and this helps to promote a happy atmosphere throughout the nursery.
• Staff know children well. They use assessment effectively to identify children's next steps in learning and plan activities to incisively support their individual learning needs. However, at times, staff do not always focus precisely on what children know and need to learn next when they plan group activities. At these times, children are not supported as well to make the best possible progress.
• Staff support children's communication and language skills well. They speak clearly and model words for children to repeat. Children of all ages enjoy singing. They sing familiar songs and enthusiastically join in with the actions. As a result, children become confident communicators and readily chat to visitors.
• In the pre-school room, staff support older children to recognise numbers, hold a pencil and recognise and say some letter sounds. Staff encourage children to listen and respond to others during circle times and to develop a positive attitude to learning. As a result, children develop the skills they need to start school confidently.
• Children behave well. They listen and respond willingly to staff requests, share the resources and take turns. Staff help children to gain an understanding of when they might be at risk. For example, before going outside, staff explain that the snow has frozen and become slippery, so they must walk very carefully. As a result, children develop an understanding of how to help keep themselves safe.
• The nursery chef provides healthy, nutritional meals and snacks throughout the day. Mealtimes are sociable occasions in all rooms in the nursery and independence is encouraged in all age groups. Older children serve their own food and pour their own drinks. Babies and young children are encouraged to feed themselves and to experience different foods.
• Partnership with parents is strong. Parents are highly complimentary about the care and education their children receive. They comment that they receive regular updates about their child's progress and staff provide ideas for how they can support their child's learning at home. This promotes continuity in children's learning and helps them to make the most progress.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support staff to focus more precisely on what children know and need to learn next when they plan group activities, to help them make the best possible progress.