Giggle Tots Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are welcomed into the nursery by friendly and attentive staff who show genuine interest in their well-being. Parents of children new to the setting feel confident and reassured by flexible settling-in arrangements that allow for individual children's needs. Staff build good relationships with children, providing a safe and secure environment in which to grow. Staff plan the indoor and outdoor environment based on children's interests. Children demonstrate skills of taking turns and managing emotions. Curriculum delivery is carefully designed to help each child to build confidence in learning new skills, turning small challenges into opportunities for building confidence and resilience.

The nursery hosts monthly parents' breakfasts and 'Stay-and-Play' sessions for grandparents to make children feel secure and raise their self-esteem. The leadership team and staff hold high expectations for all children and work diligently to ensure smooth transitions between rooms and school-readiness for pre-school children. The key-person system is well embedded and supports children in meeting developmental milestones effectively. Staff provide an individually targeted approach to intimate care routines for younger children, fostering trusting relationships. Children are supported in developing good self-care and hygiene habits, with low-level sinks available in rooms for handwashing. With staff's support, babies and toddlers are encouraged to eat independently, and toddlers are assisted to self-serve. Older children help to set the table for lunch and also self-serve food at mealtimes

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

• The leadership team adopts a reflective and hands-on approach, consistently striving for the best outcomes for all children. Staff's training needs are identified through regular monitoring and supervision sessions, and staff feel confident in seeking support from managers when needed. This open culture contributes to a strong, cohesive team.
• Partnerships with parents are a significant strength. Parents provide highly positive feedback and value staff's contribution to their children's lives. Parents are regularly updated on their children's development and next steps.
• The curriculum is well planned and tailored to the individual needs of the children. For example, in the toddler room, staff use creative methods such as brushing dinosaur teeth to promote oral hygiene, while offering praise and prompts to reinforce learning. Staff use age-appropriate language and introduce new vocabulary during play, encouraging perseverance and curiosity.
• Personal care routines for children support their emotional well-being. Staff engage positively through interactions that support children to learn about managing their personal care needs in a fun and engaging manner. For example, they sing songs, make eye contact and talk about what they are doing and why. This supports children to form positive and secure relationships with staff.
• In the garden, toddlers explore water play by using fishing nets to catch small items. Staff support their learning by introducing age-appropriate language, such as 'catching' and 'splashing', helping children build vocabulary through play. They also gently encourage perseverance with phrases like, 'Oops, it fell out - let's try again,' turning small challenges into opportunities for confidence and resilience.
• The nursery is well resourced, both indoors and outdoors, with equipment suited to different stages of development. The environment is arranged to support both adult-led and child-initiated activities. However, some areas of the nursery are not as well kept as others, which doesn't allow children to fully maximise their learning opportunities.
• Children interact confidently with staff and peers. Staff respond warmly and attentively to children's conversations, fostering a sense of belonging and emotional security. For example, children proudly share news from home, which gives them a sense of belonging.
• Some routines are not always as well managed as others, which can lead to noise levels in some rooms rising occasionally. This can lead to some children not being able to manage this change well and becoming a little unsettled.
• Mealtime routines are mostly effective, with children encouraged to self-serve and participate in setting tables. Colour-coded mats and serving plates support children's independence. Staff offer assistance sensitively, promoting autonomy and independence.
• Leaders and staff foster an inclusive environment, working with parents and external agencies to identify and support children needing extra help. Strategies from professionals are implemented to ensure children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) make good progress. All staff hold paediatric first-aid training.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support staff's knowledge and understanding to consider ways to reduce noise levels in the rooms to maximise children's learning and engagement
• consider the learning environment to enable children's learning to be fully maximised.