Green Nursery School Basford

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are welcomed into the warm, inviting nursery by enthusiastic and dedicated staff. They quickly discover a wealth of resources and activities to enjoy. Younger children develop their small muscles as they squeeze and squash play dough. They use rollers to flatten it and cutters to press down into the dough to cut out recognisable shapes that they confidently name. Toddlers gather round as they listen to a story. They lift the flaps in the book and name the animals, and they then find animals related to the story in a basket. They are helped to build their speaking skills as they imitate the animal sounds from the book.

Children use their large-muscle skills as they sit on balance bicycles and propel themselves forwards with their legs. They start to develop their coordination and core muscle strength as they climb on the apparatus. They sit down and are supported to count 'one, two, three', as they slide down the slide, shouting 'whee!' as they travel downwards. Children skilfully practise handling balls and build their mathematical understanding as they count carefully while they throw and catch. They practise their mark-making skills as they create pictures on boards using whiteboard pens. Children draw recognisable shapes and point at them, proudly exclaiming, 'A circle!'

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

• The nursery provides children with home-cooked nutritious meals and snacks. Staff promote healthy eating as they sit and talk to children. For example, they remind children about how yoghurt makes their bones strong. Children demonstrate that they understand the importance of eating healthy food as they comment that food gives them energy.
• The management and staff have created a programme of learning for the children that builds on what they already know. Clear next steps, which are shared regularly with parents, identify how to enhance children's learning further.
• Older children have good routines in place. They listen to instruction, such as for tidy-up time, and respond well to this. However, younger children are still learning boundaries. For example, during mealtimes, younger children are still learning how to sit at the table while they eat. When children forget these boundaries, they are asked to stop and are not always given the opportunity to understand why.
• Staff engage and talk to children while they play. However, at times, staff do not always give children the opportunity to think critically and test out their ideas. For example, staff ask multiple questions to children and often do not allow children to process their thoughts and reply. Therefore, children's learning is not always extended to its highest level.
• Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities receive exceptional support. Concerns about children's development are addressed swiftly, and external professionals work alongside the special educational needs coordinator to support the children's progress. The manager ensures that additional funding is spent appropriately, for example to provide one-to-one support for children if they need it.
• The manager and staff provide additional trips and experiences in the local area to enable children to learn about their community and the world around them. For example, children learn about nature as they visit the local park. They collect leaves and conkers as they learn about the seasons, and they feed the ducks and birds as they discover the natural world.
• The highly experienced and dedicated manager ensures that the well-being of her staff is of the utmost priority. For example, she provides the staff with hot meals should they want these. The manager ensures that the staff have regular access to a wealth of online and face-to-face courses to help them build on their knowledge of the early years. The staff say that they are happy to work at the nursery. They receive regular supervision, and they feel supported in their roles.
• Parents speak highly about the 'friendly and welcoming' nursery. They receive regular updates about their child's development. For example, termly meetings with their child's key person enable parents to understand and contribute to their child's next steps. Parents comment that the nursery is 'reassuring and comforting', and this enables their children to settle quickly.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support children's critical thinking and allow them to test out their own ideas to enhance learning to the highest level
• reinforce behaviour expectations with clear explanations to help children understand rules and boundaries.