Gayton Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The manager has developed a broad and ambitious curriculum that covers each area of learning. She places high priority on building children's communication, physical and personal, social and emotional development. Staff teach children about the importance of being a kind friend and ably support them to take turns. Children know and remember the nursery's rules for how to behave and stay safe, such as to listen well and to hold the banister when using the stairs. Staff provide worthy opportunities for older children to become the nursery's 'sparkle of the day'. For example, staff give children special duties to be the line leader or to remind their peers when it is time to tidy up. Children develop maturity and self-esteem. They are prepared well for their future responsibilities as responsible, thoughtful people.

Staff help children to persist as they develop their physical strength and coordination. Children adore their many opportunities to run, climb and slide, or to ride on the balance bicycles in the spacious nursery garden. Staff in the baby room make sure that young children have ample space to practise crawling, shuffling and pulling themselves up on furniture. As a result, babies and other children become strong, confident and steady on their feet.

Staff offer gentle reassurance to babies and children who are new to nursery. Children settle quickly. They develop secure relationships with staff that help them to feel happy and safe.

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

• Mostly, staff receive effective support from the manager to further their professional development. However, the manager has not checked that staff understand the training they have received. As a result, there are gaps in how some staff deliver the manager's intended curriculum.
• Staff working with children under two years old provide gentle, nurturing care. However, the manager has not ensured that staff fully understand how to support babies learning. Sometimes, staff provide learning activities that are not matched well to babies' needs. This means that some babies learn less successfully.
• The manager makes certain that staff know each of their key children in detail. Staff make effective links with parents and carers to find out about children's interests. Staff observe children closely to find out what they already know. They then consider this information well to plan the next steps for children's learning. Children thrive because of the strong bonds they have with their nursery key person.
• Staff deliver the manager's curriculum for mathematics skilfully. They demonstrate to children that mathematics can be found everywhere. Staff seize opportunities to secure children's knowledge of numbers, shapes and colours, such as through games, singing rhymes and play. Children learn essential information about mathematics.
• Staff promote children's knowledge about literacy well. They teach children how to use various tools, such as paintbrushes and large chalks, to make marks. Children delight in their new findings, for instance when they have made long lines and squiggles on the ground or on the nursery fence outdoors. Children develop the skills they need for learning to write.
• Staff implement the curriculum for physical development effectively. They build on children's previous learning to develop the small muscles in children's hands and fingers. For example, staff make soft, pliable play dough with younger children to enable them to experience success when manipulating the dough. For older, more experienced children, staff provide firm clay to further strengthen children's hand muscles. Children develop excellent coordination of their hands and fingers.
• The manager and staff help children to learn about the importance of keeping healthy. For example, they teach children the reasons why hands need to be washed before eating. Staff ensure that children are physically active, eat a wide range of healthy foods and rest when they feel tired. Children understand how to look after their bodies.
• Staff have high expectations of how children should behave. They role model to children how to be polite. Staff support children to talk to other people gently and kindly. Children learn to be good friends. They play in harmony and cooperate with one another well.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• equip staff with greater knowledge and expertise so they deliver the nursery's curriculum for children under two years old more successfully.