Giggles Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are happy to arrive at the nursery, where they are warmly welcomed by staff. The key-person system has been developed, and children form close bonds with staff. This supports their emotional well-being. Babies and younger children are eager to explore a range of sensory materials. They are inquisitive as they explore oats and crushed cereal. They have a particular interest in animals, and staff develop this interest using books and songs.

Staff build on what they know about the children. They provide learning experiences that engage and excite children to learn. For example, staff encourage children to identify shapes during a matching game. Older children explore the wider world by looking at a globe and discover the different countries. Staff plan and assess children's learning well and this helps children to make good progress in their learning.

Staff are sensitive when meeting children's care needs. Staff ask younger children if they can change their nappy and chat to children when changing them to help them feel comfortable. Children have good opportunities to develop their independence. Older children are encouraged to look in the mirror when cleaning their own noses. Coat and bag hooks are child height, so that children can access their belongings easily. Older children confidently pour their drinks.

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

• Parents provide information about what their children already know and can do when they first attend. Staff use this information, and their own observations, to decide how to help all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) to make progress. The nursery special educational needs and disabilities coordinator works closely with other professionals and accesses additional support for children. Consequently, all children, including those with SEND, make the progress they are capable of.
• Staff ensure that all children benefit from daily activities outdoors to exercise their large and small muscles. This includes climbing on the slide and playing with dough. Older children take part in daily yoga sessions, where they practise different yoga poses and breathing techniques. Children talk to staff about how the yoga poses makes them feel. They are learning about healthy lifestyles.
• Staff support children who speak English as an additional language by using key words and phrases in their home language. This supports children's communication and helps them to feel included. Practitioners support children to learn English words by using children's home languages with the English word and visual aids, such as pictures or objects.
• There is a strong leadership team. Managers carry out regular observations of staff practice to support staff to continuously make improvements and prioritise staff well-being. Staff have regular supervision meetings with managers, where they are set targets and agree training needs. This supports staff with their professional development and helps improve the outcomes for children.
• On occasions, children show that they are familiar with the routines of the day. For instance, older children know to clear away their cups and plates after mealtimes. However, there are times within the daily routine that do not run smoothly for children. For instance, before and after lunch, staff are not always clear about what they and the children should be doing. As a result, at times, rooms are chaotic, and children do not know what is expected of them.
• Children are supported to learn behavioural expectations, such as turn taking and sharing, for example, as they play a game of dominoes. However, staff are not always consistent in reinforcing behaviour expectations to children. For example, staff will often ask children to stop a certain behaviour. However, when this continues, staff then ignore the behaviour. In addition, staff do not always remind children of the importance of moving appropriately around the nursery. Therefore, children do not receive consistent messages and do not develop a full understanding of what is expected of them.
• Parents and carers speak extremely highly of the nursery. They are very pleased with the progress their children make and the support they receive. Parents are kept informed about their children's learning. They feel that staff are interested in them as a whole family.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• review the organisation of routine times for children, so that they remain fully engaged and prepared for the change
• support staff to embed expectations for children's behaviour consistently, to ensure that children fully understand safe and socially acceptable ways to behave.