Greenfield Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children move freely between the indoors and outdoors. They play outdoors for extended periods throughout the day. Staff are highly focused on encouraging children to be active, curious and self-directed learners. For example, children discover a spider in its web and look on with awe and wonder. They look under stones for woodlice to feed the spider.

Children enjoy listening to a fairy tale about a boy who grows a beanstalk and then climbs up it. Staff plan post-reading activities that help to consolidate children's learning. For instance, children learn about plant parts and life cycles as they observe their own bean plant growing and getting taller. Staff retell the story as they draw pictures on the whiteboard. This helps children to understand that mark making can carry meaning. During such activities, staff model new vocabulary, such as 'goose', 'golden egg' and 'giant'.

Staff make sure that the daily circle time provides children with regular opportunities to think and increase their knowledge. Children learn about the days of the week, the months of the year and the weather. They count the children present and begin to recognise numbers. Children recognise their own name and begin to identify the initial letter sound. Children are happy and confident communicators. They freely chat to staff, visitors and their friends.

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

• Staff understand how to work closely with parents to help children settle in and enjoy their time at nursery. They demonstrate a range of effective settling-in techniques that take account of children's individual needs. Children form strong attachments with staff.
• Staff follow a theme-based curriculum that provides activities and experiences across all areas of children's learning. These themes reflect children's interests and build their vocabulary. Staff regularly observe children in their play and make assessments of what children know and can do. However, on occasions, staff do not consistently build on what children need to learn next to help them to achieve as much as possible in their learning.
• Staff ensure that children are emotionally prepared for their move on to school. In the role-play area, school uniforms link to school and support children's independence skills as they dress themselves. Additionally, teachers from the local primary schools attend the nursery to introduce themselves and talk to the children.
• On occasions, staff who work with the youngest children do not always implement and evaluate strategies quickly enough to reduce patterns of unwanted behaviour. However, there are effective strategies for managing older children's behaviour which include positive reinforcement in order to promote their self-esteem.
• The special educational needs coordinator attends the local authority update meetings. She has a secure understanding of how to identify and support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). She regularly communicates with the local authority advisers to coordinate additional support for children with SEND. Staff work well together as a team to help children make the best possible progress.
• The outdoor play area offers children exciting activities that encourage them to take manageable risks and experience challenge in their play. For example, children climb the small trees and balance on the tree stumps. They clamber onto the low circular swing and relax with their feet in the air.
• The manager makes sure that each member of staff's practice is monitored and any issues are identified and planned for. This helps to make sure that staff's teaching is consistently strong.
• Parents spoken to value the online information they receive about their child's development and learning. This, along with daily chats and regular parent meetings, helps parents to fully support their child's learning at home.
• The manager seeks the views of children, parents and staff. She works closely with the on-site children's centre staff who provide targeted early help services for children and their families. She uses this information to reflect on their performance and improve the overall quality of the setting.
• Staff provide children with nutritious and well-balanced snacks. Children learn about their own personal care and hygiene through regular reminders about washing their hands to keep them healthy.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• use the information gathered from observing children, even more effectively, to help children make rapid progress
• help children to learn how to express their feelings in a positive way so that they can self-regulate their emotions, thoughts and behaviour.