Gaskells Private Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children have a positive start to their education at the nursery. They experience nurturing care, as staff form close bonds with them. Children are safe and content. They benefit from high-quality interactions with staff that extend their learning. Children generally behave very well and good manners are encouraged. Staff have high expectations of children's learning. Children develop lots of new knowledge and skills over time.

Children take part in drama and dance classes each week. This helps to develop their physical skills and confidence. Children explore the spaces available to them, including a large soft-play facility and a 'grounding room'. Here, they can relax in a quiet and safe space. The nursery has developed their own outdoor forest area. Older children toast marshmallows, learning how to keep themselves safe. Children grow their own plants and harvest them, developing their understanding of healthy eating and where food comes from. They learn about living creatures and the important part they play in the natural world. For example, children welcome bees into their outdoor areas and help to care for them. Children develop an excellent understanding and appreciation of nature.

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

• Staff know children very well and plan learning to meet children's individual needs. They work closely with parents through regular discussions and meetings. This helps staff to understand children's progress and to plan what children need to learn next. This means there is consistency in children's learning between home and nursery.
• Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) make good progress in their learning. Staff form close relationships with children with SEND and provide tailored support for their individual needs. The knowledgeable special educational needs and disabilities coordinator (SENDCo) works closely with other agencies to provide the support that children need. Strategies are used to help children to access the curriculum. For example, staff offer children simple choices to help them take an active role in deciding how they spend their day. This helps to ensure that children with SEND thrive.
• Children develop a sense of responsibility within the nursery. For example, pre-school children write their own policies and conduct their own risk assessments each day. This helps children to develop ownership and pride in their nursery.
• Pre-school children do not always give whole-group activities their full focus. For example, during a story, children lose interest. They talk to their friends and play with toys. Staff do not set clear expectations for children's behaviour. This means children are not always able to access the intended learning.
• Toddlers become highly engaged in their learning. For example, children eagerly join in as staff act out the story 'We're Going on a Bear Hunt'. They repeat common refrains, showing they are familiar with the story. Children have positive attitudes towards their learning.
• Children who speak English as an additional language are well supported to learn English. Staff use strategies to help children. For example, books are provided in dual languages and staff use real objects to help promote children's understanding. Staff who speak additional languages support children as they begin to learn English. This means that children make good progress in their English language development.
• Staff undertake a range of training to help them to develop their practice. They are encouraged to regularly reflect on their own development. Staff well-being is a priority and steps have been taken to help staff to fulfil their roles to the best of their ability.
• Members of the management team are passionate about their roles and providing the best possible start for children. They have a strong vision for the nursery and continuously take steps to develop their provision. For example, the nursery team has recently developed its outdoor provision to provide more opportunities for children's learning. This helps the staff to enhance experiences for children over time.
• Staff are not always well deployed to support children during mealtimes. For example, children are not always given the support they need to use knives and forks correctly. This means that children do not always develop their skills as quickly as they could.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support children to develop their focus and make sure children know what behaviour is expected of them at all times
• consider how staff are deployed in order to support children at mealtimes.