Grace's Day Nursery - Nursery House

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children of all ages and abilities are settled, confident and very happy at the warm and inviting setting. They are eager to join in with the challenging activities that staff carefully plan for them. For example, older children use real tools, such as drills and saws, as they make their own wooden necklaces. Younger children enjoy exploring their senses. For instance, they investigate how different items feel and smell. This includes using play dough that smells like different scents, such as lemon and orange. All children enjoy exploring the natural world around them. Even the youngest children are involved in watering and growing their own healthy produce. This includes sweetcorn and runner beans. This helps children to gain a good understanding of the importance of healthy lifestyles. Older children enjoy pond-dipping activities, where they are excited to find newts and frog spawn.

Staff are positive role models and all children know what is expected of them. They are polite and behave very well. Children of all ages develop good physical skills. For example, they confidently learn about the different ways that they can move their bodies in yoga activities. Older children learn new skills as they regularly enjoy tennis, rugby and hockey sessions. Children progress well in their communication. Older children confidently answer the interesting questions that staff ask and readily express their thoughts. Young children enjoy taking part in a wide range of singing activities.

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

• The manager and staff establish very secure and trusting relationships with all children. They get to known their individual personalities well. This includes what makes them unique. Children of all ages have a good sense of belonging and positive levels of well-being and self-esteem. They are excited to come into the setting and enjoy the company of staff. For example, children seek out staff for hugs and giggle happily as they play together.
• All children demonstrate a positive attitude towards their learning. Staff support all children to make good progress. This includes those children who speak English as an additional language. For example, they learn and teach children to use words, such as 'hello', in each other's home language.
• Overall, children are engaged in their learning experiences. They are generally highly happy and confident. However, staff do not consistently organise large-group activities effectively to ensure that they always maintain the attention of all children throughout.
• Parents speak very highly of staff. The manager and staff build and maintain positive partnerships with them. Staff keep parents well involved and informed of their children's learning and achievements. They include them in key parts of the children's day. For example, parents have an input into the food menu, alongside a qualified nutritionist, to ensure children have balanced and healthy meals. Staff share helpful ideas with parents to help them support their children's learning at home. They invite parents in to learn about the activities that children enjoy in their woodland.
• The manager closely monitors the good quality of education and care that staff provide. She routinely observes staff teach children and provides them with constructive and helpful feedback. Staff evaluate their practice together and discuss at the end of each day what went well and what they would do differently. They use their findings to support their future performance.
• All staff attend regular training. They have recently learned about the different ways to support children and adults' mental health and well-being. This has helped staff to understand how to support children to express their feelings and emotions in effective ways.
• Staff have worked hard as a team to ensure that the setting is hygienic and safe and, overall, have succeeded in doing this. However, they do not always ensure that all children consistently understand and follow hygiene rules, such as handwashing routines.
• All staff help children to develop a good understanding of other people's similarities and differences outside of their own communities and experiences. For example, children learn about Diwali and Chinese New Year. They talk about different families, such as same gender parents, separated parents and blended families.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support staff to improve the organisation of large-group times to more effectively engage and maintain the attention of all children taking part
• provide support for staff to fully understand the importance of ensuring that all children consistently follow good hygiene routines.