Golders Hill Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children and parents are warmly greeted by leaders and staff each day on arrival. Staff take the time to talk to parents to gain an understanding of anything that may impact on their child's day. This helps staff to plan for individual needs and make adaptations if necessary. Children are happy coming to nursery and staff build secure relationships with them. This helps children to feel safe and ready to begin their learning.

Children arrive and have choices in their play to help them settle. Once all the children arrive, staff sit with them in a group to sing and introduce them to the day ahead. Staff speak softly to the children and are good role models. This helps children to understand the expectations and behave well. Staff quickly intervene with minor disagreements to prevent any escalation and talk to children to support their emotions. For example, children are learning about their feelings through 'The Colour Monster' book. Staff are extending children's knowledge by building on what they have listened to and expressing themselves through art so they gain a greater understanding of the emotions they feel and when they feel them.

Leaders have taken the necessary steps to improve staff knowledge in safeguarding since the last inspection. This includes recognising the signs and symptoms of abuse and who to refer to. This helps to keep children safe from harm.

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

• Leaders have worked hard since the last inspection to make improvements. They have worked closely with the local authority early years team to access support and training. This has helped to upskill staff knowledge. Leaders have ensured that there is now an effective supervision process in place. Staff value this.
• Leaders and staff share the curriculum expectations and how they assess and plan for each child. Every child, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), make progress. The activities and resources are set out to engage and excite children. Staff identify children who require further challenge to support their engagement and further learning. For example, children gather in a small group to build a large magnetic bus. They work as a team, taking turns to build their construction, with staff offering ideas and support. These well-thought-through activities help children to build a positive attitude to their learning.
• Staff support children's language skills well. Staff talk to children throughout the day so that they hear a range of vocabulary. Children, including those who speak English as an additional language, gain the skills to become effective communicators. Children hear nursery rhymes. For example, young children hear
• 'Twinkle-Twinkle' and recall back familiar parts of the rhyme. Visual cards are used to support children who are not yet communicating to support their understanding.
• Staff help children to be curious in their learning and extend their understanding through exploration. For example, as children paint outdoors, they learn to mix colours and swirl paint on a large cotton canvas. As children create new colours, they are questioned on how this happened. This helps children to problem solve and gain an understanding of causation.
• Staff teach children to learn how to keep their bodies healthy and be independent. Children wash their hands before mealtimes to support good hygiene practice. Younger children are supported in learning the skill of putting their shoes on and taking them off. Older children are given extra responsibility. Each day, two children are chosen to serve their friends their meals and cutlery at mealtimes. This helps to build children's confidence.
• Children have access to a range of physical activities to build their fine and gross motor skills. Children play with small-piece puzzles to build their finger muscles in preparation for early writing. In the garden, children can run, jump, manoeuvre cars and balance on boards. However, there are less opportunities for babies to enjoy a range of play opportunities, which sometimes hinders the joy and engagement in outdoor play.
• Literacy is promoted within the nursery through storytelling and independent access to books, which children can explore. Children listen to stories and show their enjoyment by excitedly responding to parts of the story they are asked about to support their understanding. However, there are fewer opportunities for children to read and access books outdoors in a quieter space.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• review and adapt the organisation of activities outdoors to help children to remain fully focused and highly engaged with the learning taking place, in particular for babies
• provide even more opportunities for children to expand their enjoyment of reading outdoors, to further children's literacy skills.