Grimsbury Manor Nursery School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Staff plan and provide wonderful activities for children to explore. Children learn to work together with their friends to balance and coordinate their movements as they move along patterned lines on the floor.

Children are beginning to learn some independence skills as they help to set up and serve themselves at lunchtime. They are encouraged to make healthy choices about the food they eat and the amount they want on their plates.

Staff build positive relationships with all the children. They are attentive and nurturing in their approach. This helps children to feel safe and secure in the nursery. Younger children enjoy stories as they sit with staff and cuddle, looking at the pictures in the book. Older children enjoy coming together at circle time to join in with favourite action songs and rhymes. Children join in with familiar parts of the song and clap with excitement.

Children show confidence as they make choices about the activities they want to engage in. Older children look at, and follow, instructions for the activities that are drawn on a whiteboard. This supports children to become increasingly independent in their play.

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

• The manager and staff create an environment that supports the aims of what they want children to learn. They plan an engaging curriculum that builds on children's skills and knowledge and prepares them for their next stage in learning.
• Children enjoy many opportunities to enhance their physical development. They balance and climb on a variety of apparatus, inside and outside. Babies develop their balance and coordination as they move and explore, negotiating the space around them. Staff plan the activities and space needed for children to be successful in their developing physical skills effectively.
• The manager and staff team work with parents to share a two-way communication between nursery and home. Staff share with parents what children are learning and provide ideas of how parents can extend this learning at home. Parents have opportunities to attend information evenings where they learn about the curriculum and current learning goals for their children.
• Staff promote and support children to become confident and independent learners. Children engage in, and lead, through their play with friends. Overall, children's communication and language are promoted well. For example, staff hold meaningful conversations with children about the food they bake at nursery. Children are confident to share their ideas and talk about the processes to follow to make shortbread.
• Staff encourage children to build some independent personal hygiene practices. For example, children know when they need a tissue and to wash their hands after using the bathroom. However, staff are not always consistent in promoting some personal hygiene practices for all children.
• Children show positive attitudes towards their learning and play, and they generally behave well. However, at times, staff are not consistent in communicating daily routines effectively for children to know what to expect and when. This impacts on children's behaviour because they disengage from what is happening in the room and need support to redirect them.
• The manager and leadership team focus on improving the practice and knowledge of staff and the areas of learning they teach. They review practice and hold supervision meetings with staff to discuss their practice and identify areas for development. They set targets agreed with staff to support them in their professional development. Staff feel valued and skilled in their roles.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• strengthen the opportunities for children to develop their skills in managing their personal care needs
• develop daily routines so that children know what to expect and when.