Golden Valley House Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Babies have new play spaces upstairs with exciting toys and equipment. They explore how toy vehicles make shadows as they push them across the lightbox. Other children manage risks well. They work out how to climb the steps to get to the slide and slide down. Staff plan the curriculum to build on communication and language skills. They use signs and words to help children interact with adults and children.

Older children can choose to play outdoors or indoors, in the quiet room or in the main playroom. Staff talk with them about what they are doing and help them to make choices. Pre-school children discuss the different features of toy animals. They comment on what colour eyes the toy animals have. They notice patterns, telling staff about the spots and stripes on the animal bodies. Outdoors, children play with water and natural materials, and explore the mud kitchen. They use tools to make pretend cakes, using leaves, mud and water.

Staff work together to plan the curriculum. They include children's interests and experiences from home. Children recall favourite stories and use their imaginations well. Staff recognise when children need extra support. They make sure children receive the help they need to develop. All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, make good progress in their learning.

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

• Managers have looked at the running of the nursery, reflecting on what is working well and not so well. They have reduced the number of children attending to make sure that all children are well supported. They check staff's skills and encourage them to enhance their professional knowledge. Staff use information from training to make sure that activities support children in what they need to learn next.
• Staff do not make messages clear for children. They do not use consistent strategies to help children understand what staff would like them to do. For example, when it is time to put the toys away in the baby room, staff continue to interact and play with the children. Some children do not help to put the toys away. Older children are not encouraged to listen and join in with group times. Children have food to eat or get taken for nappy changes and do not want to re-join the group when they come back.
• Staff encourage children's mathematical learning. For instance, when younger children make marks with pens, staff model how to draw circles and squares. They comment on patterns as children make 'swirls' and 'stripes'. Older children count the legs on toy animals and compare how big or small different animals are. Other children recognise numbers in a pretend fishpond. They match the coloured pebbles of 'fish food' to the numeral on the card.
• Older children show good imagination. They use the toy doctor's kit to care for friends and baby dolls who are 'sick'. They ask staff for help in deciding which tools to use. Children introduce storylines into their play and continue with themes. They bring in knowledge from home about younger siblings and what parents might say or do. Younger children's imaginations develop as they enjoy listening to stories. Staff ask them to point out characters or items in the pictures, help to turn the pages and join in with repeat phrases.
• Staff do not watch older children quite as well when there are changes in the routine. For example, all staff take the children to the bathroom to wash hands before snack time. When some children return to the playroom, they have to shout to staff to ask what they need to do next. Staff return promptly to help children find their places at the table.
• Children develop independence skills and show good manners. For example, older children pour their own drinks and share knives to cut their fruit for snack. They ask others if they can borrow the knife and say 'thank you' when they receive it. Younger children understand when staff ask if they need a tissue for their nose. They point to the tissue box and patiently let staff wipe their nose. They know where the bin is to put the used tissue in afterwards.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider must:

• support staff to provide clear and consistent messages for children, including helping them to adjust their behaviour to different situations. (by 30 March 2022)

The provider should:

• improve the way that staff working with the older children organise changes in the routine to make sure they watch children effectively.