Giggles N Squiggles Clenchwarton

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children enjoy the time they spend at the nursery. They arrive happy and eager to begin playing. Staff provide a warm and welcoming atmosphere that helps children to settle quickly. Staff are kind and caring. They provide children with positive interactions and plenty of cuddles. This helps children to form close bonds with the adults who care for them. The eldest children, specifically, are beginning to form strong friendships with each other and they play well together. For example, a small group of children work together as a team to decide on and build their own climbing frame with planks of wood. Staff teach children to be kind and respectful. They generally understand how to share and take turns and, overall, behaviour is good.

Children getting ready to begin school demonstrate lots of confidence and are very independent. They are curious and ask questions. Children enjoy playing outdoors and are physically active as they participate in fun, chasing games with staff and climb over and under equipment. They excitedly tell their friends they are balancing as they walk across an obstacle course. Children use their imagination well in their play as they make a drum set from pots and pans and dress up as different characters to act out stories.

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

• Leaders monitor staff practice regularly through observations of their interactions with children and supervision meetings. Staff receive appropriate training and coaching that helps them to improve and develop their practice. They say they feel well supported by leaders and enjoy working in the nursery. Good consideration is given by leaders to staff's well-being.
• Leaders have devised a curriculum that includes a focus on building and supporting children's independence and confidence in preparation for school. Through props and stories, staff encourage children to talk about their feelings and how to manage these. Children are encouraged to be independent at mealtimes, serving and preparing snacks and drinks. The eldest children manage their self-care needs well. Children are consistently praised for their efforts and achievements, helping to build their self-esteem and confidence.
• Staff consider the individual needs, interests and development of each child in their care. Activities are generally child initiated with some planned input from staff to explore their chosen play and extend learning. Overall, this works well, especially for the more confident children in the nursery. Although, sometimes, staff do not always notice the quieter or less-confident children as their time is occasionally dominated by other children or by routine tasks staff need to complete. This means that engagement for these children, on occasions, is not as strong.
• Staff know their children well and know how they are moving them forward in their learning in preparation for school. However, information about children's individual next steps is not always communicated regularly with parents, so that they are fully aware of the progress their child is making and how this learning can be supported at home.
• Stories are a key part of daily practice, helping to promote children's communication and language skills. Children enjoy listening to stories, both in groups and on a one-to-one basis with staff. Children vote on their favourite story to read. At circle time, children are learning vital listening and attention skills that help prepare them for the transition to school. They learn to recognise and read their name as they look for their named peg or water bottle. Older children engage in conversation and ask questions to develop their knowledge.
• The nursery generally works well with other professionals involved in children's care. However, a small number of children have shared care with another setting. Leaders have not yet fully considered a suitable system to build on effective partnership working that strives to ensure that a consistent two-way flow of information is in place to fully help meet children's needs.
• Staff share information with parents about the daily activities their children participate in, along with photographs of children at play, and provide a summary of how their care needs are met. Parents feel that their children are happy and feel safe attending the nursery.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• review the organisation of daily routines and enhance staff practice, so that quality learning opportunities, specifically for any less-confident or quieter children, are not overlooked
• enhance partnership working with other settings children attend to ensure that a consistent two-way flow of information is in place to meet children's needs
• improve information sharing with parents to ensure that they are fully informed of their child's individual learning needs and how they can meet these at home.