Greengables Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children thrive at this nurturing and welcoming nursery. They are happy, confident and eager to get involved in the exciting array of activities and experiences that staff carefully plan for them. Babies and younger children develop warm and trusting bonds with the staff who care for them. Older children demonstrate high levels of confidence and have extremely positive attitudes towards learning. Staff offer children lots of praise and celebrate their individual achievements. Children in the baby room benefit from their personal needs being met exceptionally well by the knowledgeable and caring staff. Babies and toddlers are curious and motivated to explore a wide variety of sensory activities. They have fun investigating different materials, such as sand, ice, play dough and natural materials in their play. Older children test out their own ideas and develop essential skills for future learning. They build strong friendships and play imaginatively and collaboratively. For example, pre-school children deeply engage in play in the role-play home corner, using fresh herbs to make tea for their friends.

Overall, children behave well. They receive support to learn about behavioural expectations, including sharing stories and resources to explore ideas of emotional well-being. Staff encourage the children to resolve conflicts themselves. For example, children can be heard telling others that they have to 'share' and 'be kind' to their friends. This helps children to manage their feelings and behaviours and understand the impact they can have on others.

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

• The manager is dedicated and highly respected by staff and parents alike. She has a thorough understanding of her responsibilities, and continually reflects on all aspects of her provision. Staff receive regular opportunities to discuss their performance and access a broad range of training opportunities that target their learning needs. Staff say they feel respected, valued and proud to work at the nursery.
• Staff use a good range of strategies to support children's language development. They talk with the children, model language, introduce new vocabulary and ask children a range of open-ended questions. Staff differentiate their approach for children who speak English as an additional language, ensuring they repeat words, so that children have every opportunity to hear new vocabulary. However, there are occasions when some staff do not give children enough time to think and respond to questions. At these times, children do not receive the best possible support to develop their ideas and recall what they already know.
• Children are truly respected as unique individuals. For example, staff ask young children if they can change their nappies, respecting their answer and balancing this successfully with ensuring children's needs are met. Staff value the views of children through the 'pre-school council'. This allows children to express their ideas to contribute towards positive changes in the setting.
• Staff provide numerous experiences for children to develop their physical skills. For example, pre-school children independently create models at the woodworking station. They safely and skilfully use real tools, as they hammer nails into foam bricks to bring their ideas to life. Staff offer support and safety reminders but also allow children to take the lead.
• The special educational needs coordinator works effectively to support staff working with children who require additional support. Staff work collaboratively with other professionals involved in children's care, in particular children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. As a result, children achieve good outcomes, which helps them to prepare well for their future learning and skills.
• The staff team promote children's independence skills successfully. They encourage children to 'have a go', giving them plenty of time to succeed before stepping in to help. Children are learning beneficial self-help skills. For example, young children use the accessible self-care area, where they wipe their own noses while looking in a mirror and use antibacterial gel independently.
• Partnerships with parents are well established and highly effective in supporting children's learning at home. Parents receive regular updates about children's daily activities and their key achievements. Parents value the innovative ways to support their children during the COVID-19 pandemic. They speak highly of the nursery, the care that their children receive and the progress they make.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• offer even greater support for individual staff, to ensure that they give children enough time to think and respond to the questions they ask, in order to build on children's communication and language skills even further.