Grapevine Nursery Limited

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children make a strong start to their learning in this very caring and stimulating nursery. They make good progress overall throughout their time in nursery. They are well prepared for the next stage of their learning, such as starting school. Parents appreciate the positive impact staff have on children's developing confidence and social skills. For example, babies are helped to build strong bonds with the experienced staff and settle well into the nursery's daily routines. Children learn to work independently and in groups and build lasting friendships. Staff make good use of their knowledge of children's interests and abilities to plan for their learning. For instance, children develop their memory, concentration and vocabulary as they try to identify the hidden item from a collection of seaside objects, such as flippers, goggles and sun cream.

Children feel safe and learn to behave very well and show concern for each other. They rise to staff's consistently high expectations and use words such as 'please', 'thank you' and 'excuse me' as they go about their tasks. For instance, they help each other to slice and prepare fruit for their healthy snacks. Children learn to play safely but adventurously as, for example, they confidently clamber on the netting of their climbing tower or ride their vehicles together.

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

• The very experienced and well-qualified manager provides passionate and well-informed leadership. She is well supported by her deputy, and they lead an established and very committed staff team. The manager carefully reviews the effectiveness of the nursery and draws on the views of children, staff and parents to develop teaching and learning continuously.
• Staff encourage children to develop a positive enjoyment of books overall. For example, staff encourage babies to look at farmyard books as they sing 'Old MacDonald Had a Farm' and play with toy animals. Staff read stories well. However, staff have not fully developed planning to ensure that children's experience of books is systematically built on as they progress through nursery to support the richest language development and knowledge of the world.
• Staff work well together to plan an exciting curriculum that supports children to strongly build the skills for their future learning. They support children to build on their skills to recall and retain their learning experiences. For example, children review their play at the end of each session and record their learning experiences using stickers, pictures and mark making in their daily diaries.
• Staff introduce children to new words as they play, listen to songs and engage in creative activities. For example, staff help children to describe the texture of the play dough they make together. Children explain that they need to add more flour or water to make the mixture more or less 'squishy' and 'squeezy'. The staff work closely with parents to help babies listen to and join in songs and rhymes that introduce them to new language skills and vocabulary. They further support children's language development through specific learning programmes, such as Makaton.
• Staff promote children's awareness of numbers and their early mathematical skills well as they progress through nursery. They take many opportunities to count and sing number songs as, for example, children play with their farm animals or sort toy vehicles by colour or size. Older children learn to solve simple mathematical problems, for instance, they can identify that if they have two objects, they need three more to make five. They recognise and name different shapes in their environment.
• Children learn to be self-aware, independent and well behaved. Staff are excellent role models. They take time to listen to children and support them through praise and gentle guidance to recognise and manage their own emotions. Children learn to listen to others and take turns as they play games together and share their toys.
• Parents are proud to send their children to the nursery and strongly recommend it to other parents. Parents particularly comment on the successful start children make when they move on to school. They feel they receive a very good range of useful information on their children's achievements as well as guidance and support.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• strengthen the planning further to help children build progressively on their enjoyment of books to support the highest levels of language development and understanding of the world.