Forest House Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are happy, settled and enjoy their time at the nursery. They show a positive attitude to their learning. Children enjoy the company of their friends and demonstrate that they feel safe and secure. They know the routines of the day, behave well and learn to share and take their turn with the toys. Older children demonstrate their independence skills as they move around the nursery with confidence and ease. Younger children have lots of fun as they play with foam and sand. They explore different textures and use tools, such as spades and scoops, to dig. Babies show that they are emotionally secure in their attachments with staff as they smile and look to them for reassurance. They enjoy the time spent with staff and older toddlers, singing rhymes, giggling and wriggling with delight in time to the songs.

Children, including those in receipt of additional funding, develop well in all areas of learning. They enjoy a range of experiences that support their individual interests. For example, a fascination with gardening has led to the nursery chef creating a weekly gardening club. Children are learning about staying healthy. They learn how things grow and where food comes from as they grow their own tomatoes. They tell visitors they need to 'stay hydrated', as they fetch their water bottles.

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

• Changes made to arrival procedures, due to the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic, mean that parents no longer go inside the nursery. Staff have successfully supported children to adapt to this change in routine. As such, children enter happily with confidence. Staff ensure continuity of care as they greet their own key children. They make time to talk and share essential information with parents and carers, who feel included in their child's day. Parents speak highly of their children's key staff and comment that their children love attending the nursery.
• Staff join in the children's play. They make observations of children's interests and achievements and use this information to sequence the next steps in their learning. However, on occasions, staff do not always make the most of the spontaneous opportunities that arise to extend and challenge children's learning.
• Children benefit from many opportunities to develop their literacy skills. Babies cuddle into staff when they read a story. They listen intently and look at the pictures in the book. Toddlers make marks in paint and gloop with tools such as brushes and toy cars. Older children learn to recall favourite parts of a story. They move through a sensory trail that reflects the pages in the book, acting out well loved tales. These skills will help children with later learning, such as reading and writing.
• Staff find out information about children from their parents when they first start attending the nursery. Since the pandemic, senior managers have redesigned their induction pack to ensure they have information that helps support the whole family. They enquire about the experiences children have at home to aid their future learning.
• Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are fully supported to access the curriculum. Staff ensure children are quickly identified and are actively involved in working with parents and other professionals to develop learning plans. As such, children are making progress from their starting points.
• Children enjoy fresh air and exercise as they play outside. They have plenty of opportunities to develop their large muscle movements. For example, they play football and climb the slide. However, staff do not always provide children with a rich range of resources, that reflects the curriculum, to enhance their learning in the garden.
• Children are very well behaved and are learning to take turns and share. They are kind to one another. Children are persistent and try hard to succeed. Staff foster an atmosphere that is affectionate and caring, and children follow their example. Children learn about each other's similarities and differences, through photos and displays. However, there are not enough opportunities for younger children to consistently learn about the wider community.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• build on the good teaching already in place to help staff recognise when to seize opportunities to challenge and extend all children's learning so that they consistently benefit from the very best experience
• enhance the range of resources in the garden to provide children with richer, more varied experiences to explore and investigate when outdoors
• provide more opportunities for children to develop their understanding and awareness of their own cultures and backgrounds and those of others in the community and wider world.