Forsbrook Nursery & Childcare

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children who attend the nursery receive an excellent start to their early years education. Dedicated and highly skilled staff place children and their families at the heart of everything they do. Staff model for children how they want them to behave. They help children to learn to share and take turns. Children are kind to each other and demonstrate this as they play and talk together harmoniously. Children can be seen managing their own emotions, comforting each other and organising their own play. For example, pre-school children independently play with musical instruments, and as children come over to join in, they organise their play so each child has a role and a different instrument to play, showing excellent collaboration skills.

Leaders work tirelessly alongside staff to create a unique, ambitious and meticulously sequenced curriculum. Daily discussions between staff about children's progress help to shape and evolve the curriculum. This helps to ensure that the needs of all children, especially those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), are consistently well met. All children make excellent progress from their individual starting points.

Staff are highly attentive to children's needs. They build secure bonds with children and give cuddles and reassurance promptly when needed. Staff ensure that children understand what is happening during intimate care routines so that they feel safe, respected and secure.

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

• Leaders at all levels are exceptionally skilled and have a deep understanding of the children and families they support. They have a clear vision for the nursery that is eagerly shared and embedded by the whole staff team.
• Staff have in-depth knowledge of each child. Every member of the team has an excellent knowledge of each child's precise next steps in learning. This means that every moment becomes an opportunity to enthuse and engage children in learning. For example, babies blow bubbles and giggle with excitement. Staff use new words and open-ended questions to extend babies learning.
• Staff enrich the curriculum and provide opportunities for children to experience things they otherwise may not encounter. Staff have built strong links with the adjourning school to give children a wealth of opportunities. For example, they visit the school library to choose different stories to read, use the eco garden to grow plants and enjoy musical concerts performed by older children. Children eagerly recall opportunities such as meeting police dogs and visiting the local church. Opportunities such as these enrich children's experiences within the local community and support their transition to school.
• Staff support children to have good health routines. Children learn about the benefits of tooth brushing and the importance of washing away the germs during regular handwashing. Children learn how to assess risks and consider their own safety. They learn about emotional resilience and how to regulate and communicate their emotions.
• Children's independence flourishes through thoughtfully designed routines. For instance, children pour their own drinks at mealtimes, and younger children are encouraged to progress from using spoons to mastering knives and forks. These achievements instil pride and equip children with essential life skills.
• Support and monitoring for children with SEND is meticulous. This enables staff to swiftly identify any emerging gaps. Staff advocate for children in a determined manner and are relentless in their quest to secure the support that some children need to make the very best progress. Collaborative partnership working with a wide range of outside agencies helps to ensure that every child is best supported to excel.
• Staff know how important it is for children to develop a love of reading and provide an environment that is incredibly language rich. Opportunities for children to immerse themselves in stories and reading are plentiful, and children can access books freely throughout the day. For example, a cook book is in the home corner, farming books are in the small-world area, and books about vehicles are in the outside digging area. Every space is enriched to support curiosity and imagination. Children delight in settling down and sharing stories at every opportunity.
• Parents speak incredibly highly of the support they receive. They value both formal and informal discussions with staff about their child's progress. Staff provide a wealth of advice and support parents to contribute consistently to their child's learning at home.
• Staff are incredibly well supported. Leaders work alongside staff, coaching and mentoring them. The long-standing, experienced team of staff are encouraged to support and learn from each other. Professional development is identified for each member of the team. This support helps to ensure that the quality of teaching is consistently outstanding across the whole team.