Foundation Nurseries (Rise Park)

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children arrive happily to this friendly and welcoming nursery. Staff know each child in their care very well and talk confidently about their individual interests, progress and next steps of development. Staff value what makes each child unique, and this leads to a highly inclusive environment in which children clearly feel that they belong. For example, children are keen to point out their photographs and independent work that adorns the walls in the spaces that they play and learn in.

Staff work together to create highly enabling environments, offering a range of activities to promote curiosity and interest. For example, children make lemonade together in the garden, building their fine motor skills as they squeeze and cut citrus fruits. This creates a purposeful atmosphere, in which children show high levels of engagement and enjoyment.

Staff interactions with children are consistently positive. They constantly model language and ask questions to promote thought and conversation. They skilfully make links to prior learning, encouraging children to recall previous experiences and to repeat key information and vocabulary. For example, during a discussion about bees, children are encouraged to remember the names of flowers they had collected the previous day. Children make good progress, most notably with their language development, and are well prepared for their next stage of learning.

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

• Leaders have effective oversight of the nursery and are committed to ensuring a safe and inclusive environment for children. They have responded quickly to previous actions and worked hard to ensure these have all been securely met.
• Staff have warm and supportive relationships with children. They are highly observant and quick to intervene if a child needs support. For example, holding a child's hand to support them to balance down a ramp. Staff focus on offering praise and rewards for positive behaviours. This builds a positive culture, in which children grow in confidence and behave well, as they understand what is expected of them.
• Leaders describe clear learning goals for each age group and have been working towards a more child-centred approach to planned learning. However, this is not yet embedded as staff tend to describe activities rather than learning intents. This can limit the purpose of an activity. That said, staff challenge children during play, such as to use tweezers instead of their fingers to pick up small items. Over time, children make good progress across all areas of the curriculum.
• The nursery provides children with a range of healthy meals and snacks throughout the day, and dietary needs are well catered for. Children are supported to self-serve and clear away their plates, and they brush their teeth together after lunch. This supports them to develop healthy habits and builds their independence skills in readiness for school.
• Staff describe their passion for teaching children about other cultures and religions, and to celebrate difference. They include a range of festivals and calendar events in their planning. The nursery also benefits from two pre-school rooms that are adapted to meet different needs. For example, one room is better equipped to support children that speak English as an additional language. Leaders and staff have developed an inclusive culture in which all children are well supported and feel valued.
• Staff use multiple strategies to support and include children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) in all aspects of the nursery. For example, a well-equipped sensory room is utilised to support children to self-regulate. Leaders use additional funding to meet individual needs and interests of children with SEND, supporting them to make good progress from their individual starting points.
• Leaders communicate well with other professionals. For example, they share strategies with other caregivers to ensure a joint approach to meeting the unique needs of children with SEND. They also welcome visits and share information with local schools. This supports smooth transitions for children between different settings, and on to their next stage of learning.
• Leaders understand the importance of working in partnership with parents and this is a notable strength of the nursery. For example, parents are encouraged to share observations from home. Staff display these which encourages children to talk about their experiences, building their language skills and sense of identity. Parents comment that communication is strong and they feel that staff genuinely care about their children.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support staff to better understand the learning intent of planned activities to ensure they meet children's next steps of development.