Great Chishill Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are excited to arrive at the nursery. They separate from carers with ease before rushing to join their friends and play. Children demonstrate that they feel safe and secure exploring their nursery. Staff work hard to create a stimulating environment that supports children's changing interests and needs. For example, the manager and staff have created a 'messy' play area, where children can freely explore crafts and sensory activities in a safe environment.

Staff take every opportunity to support children's self-esteem. Children's artwork is displayed throughout the nursery. Staff encourage children to show off their creations, consistently praising their efforts and achievements during activities. As a result, children demonstrate high levels of confidence. They welcome visitors warmly and invite them into their play at every opportunity.

Staff encourage children to complete age-appropriate tasks throughout the day. They create an environment that allows children of all ages to establish healthy routines. For example, low-level hygiene stations allow toddlers to confidently use tissues to wipe their noses. They know to dispose of them in bins before cleaning their hands. Older children pour their own drinks and prepare their own snacks. These high levels of independence prepare children well for school.

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

• Staff encourage children to be curious and support their critical thinking skills well. They allow children to explore activities at their own pace and are always on hand to discuss their ideas. Staff ask appropriate questions, allowing children time to investigate their ideas further. For example, children use pipes to roll balls into buckets. When the balls get stuck, staff encourage children to discuss why. They then support children to explore if moving the pipes may get their desired result.
• Children demonstrate immense pride in taking on age-appropriate responsibilities in the nursery. Staff encourage children to keep a tally of their friends who are in for the session, set tables for meals and snacks and wipe them down once finished. Children beam with delight when they are selected to be the helper for the day and complete their tasks to a high standard with no prompting.
• The knowledgeable manager and staff understand how children learn best. They plan activities based on children's interests and learning needs. This supports children to remain deeply engaged and encourages them to make good progress. Children take an active role in planning their day at the nursery. Staff use snack time to recall past activities and discuss what children would like to explore next. This enables staff to measure the impact their teaching has on children's learning and plan future opportunities.
• Relationships between staff and parents are strong. Parents and carers speak highly of the manager and staff and the high-quality care they provide. They comment on the detailed information they receive daily about children's progress and routines. Parents deeply appreciate the nurturing approach staff have and how this not only supports children but the entire family.
• The manager places sharp focus on supporting staff development and well-being. She conducts regular appraisals and supervisions to identify learning opportunities and ensure staff remain happy and supported in their roles. However, methods of coaching are not yet robust enough to enable staff to identify areas to improve their practice.
• Staff sequence children's learning well during activities. They understand the positive impact this will have on children's progress and confidence. Staff ensure children are secure in their abilities before extending their learning further. For example, children are exploring a mathematics activity. They count out groups of plastic animals before identifying the corresponding numbers on cards. Staff extend children's learning further by encouraging them to join dots and form the numbers themselves. However, staff do not consistently demonstrate the same high-quality teaching skills when supporting children of different ages. Activities are not routinely adapted to meet the wide age range of children who attend.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• establish robust methods of mentoring and coaching to enable staff to identify areas to improve their practice
• better adapt planned activities to ensure they meet the learning needs of all children who attend.