Greenacres Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are happy and feel safe in this nurturing, welcoming environment. The experienced staff know children well and carefully plan to ensure that they meet all children's needs. Staff show passion for implementing a curriculum that is fun and tailored to children's interests and their next steps in learning. They make sure that they teach children the importance of community cohesion. For example, children have regular visits to their local care home and take part in community events. Staff teach children to be independent and plan activities to enhance children's problem-solving skills.

Children behave well. They listen and attend to circle-time sessions. They sing and clap to welcome their friends to nursery. Children take turns and share resources. For example, they roll a coloured dice and select different coloured spots to add to their dinosaur boards. Children join in with singing and dancing to a range of familiar action songs. Staff encourage children to develop a love for reading. They resource each room with high-quality books, which children enjoy self-selecting. Staff enjoy sharing stories with children and help them to choose their books to take home to share with their families. Staff show excitement when talking to children about their favourite books, encouraging them and supporting them in their choices.

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

• Staff consistently remind children of the expectations for their behaviour at nursery. Staff encourage children to tidy up by asking them to do specific jobs to support them. They praise children as they complete their requests. Children respond well to the clear routines in place for what is happening 'now and next'. Staff remind children about making sensible choices to reinforce their expectations. Staff model to children the importance of talking to each other to sort out disagreements between friends.
• Children enjoy mark making on large paper and using stencils. They thread laces to create pictures and work together to complete large jigsaws. Children are supported to develop their cutting skills. They cut pictures to sequence the pictorial instructions for looking after a plant. These activities help children to strengthen the small muscles in their hands in preparation for writing. Older children practise copying letters of their name as they label their own artwork.
• Staff teach children about the importance of a healthy diet and exercise. Children grow a variety of fruits and vegetables in their garden to taste and share during mealtimes. They plant dwarf beans in grow bags and staff talk to children about how to care for them. They climb up, in and over tyres. Children kick balls into goals, climb up steps and over bridges and slide down slides. Staff play games with children and help them to throw hoops into baskets. This all supports children's physical development.
• Staff show expertise in modelling skills to help children to become independent. They promote a philosophy of 'modelling' first and then the 'now you try approach'. Children show their developing skills in independence through using knifes to cut fruit, zipping up their coats and selecting the appropriate clothes for outdoor play. Staff offer children high praise and support them when they give things a go.
• Staff generally support children's language acquisition well. They ask children thought-provoking questions, wait for responses and support children's development of their vocabulary and ideas. However, some staff do not plan activities that allow all children to have a turn to share their ideas. This does not consistently engage all children in activities and ensure that they have sufficient opportunities to further their skills within the area of communication and language.
• Parents are extremely happy with the nursery. They speak of the noticeable progress which their children have made since starting nursery. They receive regular updates on their children's progress and next steps in learning. Staff offer parents a range of ideas on how they can help their children at home.
• The experienced leadership team supports staff well. Staff feel celebrated and valued. They have opportunities to obtain early years recognised qualifications. Staff work with a range of external agencies to ensure that children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are well supported. They have a clear vision in moving forward and strive for continuous improvement.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• plan activities which engage all children and provide opportunities to further develop and build on children's skills within the area of communication and language.