Furnace Barn Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children settle well, feel safe and are happy in this nursery. Staff take time to talk to each parent when children arrive. This means that the transition between home and nursery is easy for children. Leaders and staff focus on children's attachments and well-being, recognising the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on children's emotional development. As a result, children form strong attachments with their key persons. They confidently approach staff for comfort and reassurance when needed, which supports their emotional well-being extremely well. Children can visit the 'zen garden', which is a calming space that offers books and resources to encourage children to talk about their feelings.

Children's behaviour is good, and they understand what is expected of them in the nursery. Children understand the routines of the day, which means that useful learning time is not lost. For example, they gather quickly and enthusiastically for yoga sessions and singing times. They are supported to play cooperatively together, share and take turns. Children display positive attitudes towards learning. They move around freely and join in with their preferred activities. During a water activity, children count how many scoops they need to fill their containers and eagerly compare this number with their friends. Staff have high expectations of each child. As a result, all children make good progress from their starting points.

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

• Children develop a love of books. Staff regularly read familiar stories to children from a young age. Babies sit and listen to staff intently as they touch and feel the different textures on the pages. Leaders have set up a 'secret library' where children can borrow a mystery book. This helps to support learning at home.
• Children are taught how to care for their environment and where food comes from. They talk about the vegetables they like with great humour as one child says, 'My Dad likes peas so much he wants to bath in peas!' Children have access to a large garden area that includes fruit trees and vegetable patches where they grow their own healthy snack foods and care for their crops. This supports children to develop healthy lifestyles.
• Children's mathematical development is supported well. Staff weave numbers and counting into activities and routines. For example, children confidently count how many spikes they need to make a hedgehog from play dough and sticks. Staff extend this learning by showing them how to add one more. This helps to support children's understanding of early mathematical concepts.
• Children's curiosity and sense of wonder is ignited when they discover an unfamiliar creature. Staff are prompt in creating an opportunity to teach children new vocabulary as they tell them it is a 'millipede'. Children are intrigued to find out more and question the way the millipede moves. This supports their understanding and appreciation of the natural world.
• The nursery has a designated special educational needs coordinator (SENCo). The SENCo works alongside children and has positive relationships with parents. She helps staff to make plans to adapt the curriculum to meet children's learning needs. Intervention plans are regularly monitored and gaps in learning are targeted with precision. Children make good progress.
• Children develop independence skills for some of their own personal needs. For example, older children collect their own cutlery and clear their plates after lunch, and babies are supported to feed themselves. However, there are times when staff complete tasks that children are capable of attempting and mastering themselves. For instance, staff wash children's hands and remove their wellies and coats. This does not consistently help children to develop independence.
• Leaders have a clear intent to provide high-quality care and education for all children. The nursery's values teach children respect, to share, be considerate, collaborate and listen. Leaders understand how to sequence learning effectively to ensure that the aims are achieved. Leaders are ambitious and are dedicated to ensuring that all children reach their full potential.
• Partnership with parents is good. Parents are very clear who their child's key person is and they value the opportunity to talk with them when dropping off or picking up their children every day. Staff share information with parents through an online learning journal about what children are learning in the setting. This provides a consistency of care for children.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• extend children's independence skills, particularly when they are capable of carrying out tasks themselves.