Forest Nursery Limited

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children show they feel comfortable and at ease in this friendly and welcoming nursery. Staff know the children well and meet their individual needs effectively. They make sure they keep up to date with babies' changing routines and support them to feel secure, be ready to explore and become curious. Babies confidently participate in the activities, such as exploring the 'autumn' tray, knowing there is a special adult for reassurance should they need it. Toddlers show a positive attitude towards their learning and are learning to play together with their friends. Staff set out resources that they know interest the children and support them as they play together, promoting their speech and language and their social skills. Pre-school children are confident around visitors and show they have formed close relationships with staff. Staff engage the children in conversations and help them think about and recall past experiences. Children become confident communicators and, overall, develop good social skills.

The provider and staff have a clear intent for the curriculum to help children gain the knowledge and skills they need to move through the nursery and on to school. Staff check the children's progress regularly, identify gaps in learning and work with outside agencies to put in place appropriate support. All children, regardless of their backgrounds and abilities, are making good progress. Overall, those children who are risk of falling behind are supported to catch up.

Staff provide children with interesting opportunities to develop their awareness of the local community and to develop their physical skills. For example, an outside company visits weekly to offer children opportunities to dance and sing. Staff take children to the local parks and fields so they can run around and use different apparatus to develop their large muscles.

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

• Staff report that they feel supported by the provider and manager in developing their qualifications and attend training that has a positive impact on their practice. For example, behaviour management training has enabled staff to use different approaches to managing unwanted behaviour. This has helped children contribute towards how they can negotiate issues together and resolve them. Staff also report they receive awards and 'coffee treats' that make them feel valued.
• Staff support children's language skills effectively. They use simple hand signs alongside words and reinforce simple language to help broaden babies' communication and understanding. Staff encourage children to recall prior learning, such as when reading stories or exploring natural items they have collected during outings.
• Staff introduce simple mathematical concepts into children's play. They sing simple number songs with babies and use positional language as they play, such as 'Is it under the leaf?' Toddlers learn simple mathematical language as they strengthen their hand muscles when manipulating dough and rolling it into worms. Staff introduce words such as 'big', 'little' and 'long'. Older children develop good mathematical skills as they name shapes and compare the sizes of objects.
• Babies develop their self-care skills as staff support them to feed themselves and help themselves to their drinks. Toddlers feed themselves using cutlery and drink from open cups. They talk about how the food is good for them, saying it makes them 'big and strong'. Older children come in from outdoors, take off their shoes and all-weather suits and go to the toilet independently.
• Children's behaviour is very good, overall. Staff are skilled in helping children learn to share and to understand how their friends may feel when they behave in a certain way. Staff encourage children to look at the other child's face and to see if they are happy or not, such as when they sit on them rather than getting another chair. This helps children learn about the consequences of their actions on others. However, at times, the strategies used to help those children who find it difficult to wait their turn are inconsistent in helping them learn the rules and boundaries. This results in other children waiting for long periods to have their go.
• Parents report that they are very happy with the progress their children have made since attending nursery, especially with their speech and their confidence. Parents say that staff are very caring and communicate well about their children's day, their next steps and how they can support these at home. However, the provider does not consistently engage effectively with parents to help them encourage their children to learn to look after their bodies or to manage their personal needs early enough in partnership.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• help staff implement strategies to support all children to learn the importance of the rules and boundaries, in particular to wait their turn
• engage parents more effectively in supporting some key aspects of their children's personal, social and emotional development between the nursery and home.