Greygates Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children receive a warm welcome at this nurturing setting. They greet the staff with excitement and quickly settle down to play. Children of all ages show that they feel happy and secure throughout the day. They are motivated to play and learn. For example, children show a keen interest in literacy and build strong foundations for reading and writing. Babies and toddlers learn to handle books carefully and thoroughly enjoy being read to. Older children confidently retell favourite stories and are proud to demonstrate their drawing and writing skills.

Children benefit from a broad range of experiences to enhance their knowledge of the world. For instance, they enjoy weekly 'outdoor adventures' to learn about the natural environment and their local area. Children enjoy sharing their experiences from home and happily celebrate the important events in their community and the wider world. Consequently, they show interest and respect for their differences and are keen to explore other languages and cultures.

Staff have high expectations for all children. They encourage children's learning and praise positive and kind behaviour. Therefore, children are aware of the boundaries and behave well. Children relish their growing independence and begin to manage their own hygiene and personal care. For instance, pre-school children confidently serve their own food and drinks at mealtimes.

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

• The experienced manager and supportive leadership team are passionate about their roles. They work hard to develop strong partnerships with parents. For example, they invite parents to attend events in the setting and to accompany children on outings. Leaders provide informative workshops on issues such as childhood illnesses and school readiness. This successfully promotes a shared approach to children's care and learning.
• Parents have nothing but praise for the setting and cannot think of anything to change or improve. They are reassured that the staff know their children extremely well, therefore they are confident to leave them, without concern for their safety or happiness. Parents appreciate the regular updates on children's progress and support with issues such as children's behaviour and oral hygiene. They say that their children are happy and thriving.
• Staff are enthusiastic and display some good teaching skills. For example, they demonstrate and describe how to use simple tools and sensitively encourage children to have a go. Therefore, children consistently build on what they know and can do. However, staff sometimes miss opportunities to incorporate mathematical language and concepts into children's play to further extend this area of their learning.
• In general, children behave well and play together happily. Staff support them to solve occasional disagreements, with reminders about what they should do. This helps children to understand expectations, such as taking turns and using 'gentle hands'. However, staff could do more to teach children about their emotions and the feelings of others to help them moderate their actions independently.
• Children learn the importance of healthy lifestyles and develop positive habits to support them in later life. They discover that there are lots of fun ways to keep fit, as they play outdoors and enjoy activities such as yoga and sports sessions. Children enjoy healthy meals each day and help staff to grow vegetables in their garden. They are confident to sample new foods and chat happily about their favourite fruit and vegetables.
• Staff observe children's play to identify their interests and learning styles. They use what they know effectively to plan the varied learning experiences. Therefore, children are highly motivated to learn. Staff quickly identify where children need additional help with learning and provide timely support. This includes working with parents and other professionals, where needed. Consequently, all children, including children who have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), make good progress from their starting points.
• The support for children's language and communication is a strength of the setting. Staff talk, read and sing with children throughout the day to help them develop their speaking and listening skills. They incorporate a range of additional strategies, such as using picture cards, to help children understand the routines and make choices. As a result, all children, including children with SEND and those who speak English as an additional language, become confident and effective communicators.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• help staff to build on children's knowledge of mathematics more consistently during play
• develop further the support for children's emotional literacy to help them understand feelings and moderate their actions.