Fox Hollies Childrens Centre

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children arrive happily at nursery. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, staff continue to receive children from their parents in the nursery corridor. They exchange information and engage in conversation with parents at drop off and collection times. Children build warm relationships with their key person and other staff. This helps them to feel safe and secure.

Children are eager to explore the play environment that is organised for them. They confidently select the toys they wish to play with. For example, they make brick structures to create tall models together. They learn about the seasons and explore the leaves outdoors. They talk with staff about their changes in colour. Children show positive attitudes to learning and are keen to take part in the activities that are planned for them, such as rolling marbles and mixing paint. They talk with staff about what happens when they add one colour to another.

Children are excited to take part in the daily routines and are learning to wash up the cups after their drinks at snack time. Children are involved in a broad range of experiences in the nursery, both indoors and outdoors. As a result, they are gaining the skills they need for their future learning and the eventual move on to school.

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

• The manager and staff have developed a well-thought-out curriculum, which helps children to build on their skills and understanding and move on to their next stages in learning. They have introduced new arrangements for the way that children's learning is planned for. Children show high levels of engagement in activities. However, these arrangements are continuing to develop and are not yet fully imbedded, to help children to make progress more rapidly.
• The play environments are carefully planned by staff, who know the children very well. Staff know what each child needs to learn next. They consider how to provide for this learning during their play interactions, to build on what children already know. They use the information gained from parents in the beginning to enable them to plan for children's learning from the start.
• Leaders and managers consistently provide staff with appropriate training and tailored support as they make this transition from past to current systems for planning. The staff team have developed a reflective culture. They talk about the work they are doing and how they intend to support each child to make progress.
• Children select from a variety of resources outdoors. The youngest children run excitedly, pushing trolleys while older children ride on wheeled toys or brush the leaves with great effort, using brooms.
• Children have fun in the garden. They are excited when they find a ladybird on the ground. Staff use their skills to question what children see. Children gather round and are keen to answer, saying, 'the lady bird is orange and that it has spots'. Other children continue the search for more ladybirds and find several in different places. Staff are enthusiastic about their finds, which helps children to continue with this play.
• Staff model language well. They adjust the support that children need and speak clearly which helps children to understand them. All children, including children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are developing speech that is clear. This includes children who speak English as an additional language. Staff use signs and other visual aids to support children's understanding.
• Children are highly engaged during song time. They use their bodies well to follow the actions along with staff. For example, they sing a welcome song which includes the names of each child, staff and visitors. Children smile proudly when it is their turn for their name to be sung.
• Children are learning to behave well in the setting. They respond to reminders from staff to use 'kind feet'. Children are praised for their efforts and achievements throughout the day from staff. For example, staff 'high five' and cheer when children put on and zip up their own coats.
• Parents speak very highly of the support they receive from nursery managers and staff. They are happy with the daily communication they are given about their children's learning in the nursery and how they can help them in their learning at home.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• continue to develop the new planning arrangements to ensure these are fully imbedded and help children to make progress more rapidly.