Good Manors Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children arrive at this nursery very happily and separate from their parents and carers with ease. Children form very close attachments with their key persons, who show them attention and genuine affection. As a result, children feel safe and secure, which is key to their ability to thrive at this nursery and make good progress in their development.

Children enjoy playing and exploring indoors and outdoors. They show positive attitudes to their learning. For example, older children nurture their natural curiosity and spend a considerable amount of time exploring a potion-making activity, using a range of 'ingredients'. Children fill and empty containers and eagerly mix the water with the materials of their choice. Toddlers show good perseverance as they play with inset puzzles and turn their pieces to make them fit. They receive lots of praise and encouragement from staff. Babies have many opportunities for sensory play and to practise their physical skills. They happily go to staff for cuddles and comfort.

Children behave well, and staff establish and uphold clear boundaries. Through children's play, staff encourage the development of friendships, sharing and listening to others. For instance, when older children initially struggle to focus on a group activity, staff ask, 'Shall we shake our sillies off?' This makes the children laugh, and they wiggle and happily show how they can turn their 'listening ears' on.

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

• Staff know the children very well and plan a sequenced curriculum for them. Staff speak with confidence about children's development, their progress and next steps in learning. Transitions when children move rooms are managed well, and the nursery staff collaborate with local schools to ensure that their curriculum is supportive of children's transition to school. For instance, the nursery supports schools' requests to support children with listening and attention skills, independence skills and toilet training.
• The management team has a positive attitude towards continual improvement. The team is reflective and has recently reviewed its procedures and staff training to further ensure that children's dietary requirements are strictly adhered to. Good plans are also in place to develop the garden further, including a greater focus on sustainability. Staff comment positively on the training available to them and say that their well-being is well supported.
• Each day, staff plan interesting activities based on children's interests and learning needs. However, occasionally, staff do not successfully carry out what they have identified they want children to learn. Consequently, some children's learning is not maximised as staff intend. For example, a planned activity to support children's communication and language was not fully successful as children were not encouraged to share their views and respond to questions.
• Staff are highly successful at promoting children's cultural capital and providing a rich set of experiences that help children learn about people, families and communities beyond their own. For example, staff take children out into the town centre, where they visit places such as the library, civic offices and the performing arts theatre, where children have taken part in salsa drumming with elderly residents of a local care home. Children's home languages are greatly respected, with staff creating their own language books with key words in different languages.
• Partnerships with parents are very strong. Parents fully appreciate the information they receive about their children's progress. They feel the management team is transparent in its approach and comment that their children talk about the staff as their friends. Engagement with parents is excellent, with the nursery offering training courses, such as sign language and first aid. Parents are often invited into the nursery, such as for craft afternoons or to share how their families celebrate different festivals.
• Staff support children's behaviour well and are good role models. They help children learn to take safe risks, such as building obstacle courses out of crates and tyres outside and learning how to balance on these. Staff safeguard children well and help older children start to learn about keeping themselves safe online in an age-appropriate way.
• Children's physical health is promoted well through nutritious food, regular fresh air and exercise. Babies, toddlers and pre-schoolers get plenty of opportunities to play outside. They have lots of space to run around, build in the construction area and look for birds with their binoculars.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support staff to implement the learning intentions of activities more precisely, so that interactions are consistently effective at extending children's knowledge and learning intentions are met.