Growing Patch Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children thoroughly enjoy their time at the nursery. Relationships with staff are good, and the children form close attachments. All children, including the youngest children, confidently move around their environment and select from a wide range of resources that capture their interest. For example, young children benefit from the use of low-level furniture which provides support as they pull themselves to standing. Children's confidence blossoms, as staff listen to what they have to say and respond to the gestures of the babies and younger children. Staff boost children's self-esteem through their praise and encouragement. Children behave well, and the atmosphere within the nursery is harmonious. They busy themselves, and strong friendships are formed.

Children develop good physical skills. They carefully balance while walking on low-level beams, kick balls with direction, and learn to use small tools, such as scissors, with control. They jump, run and move their bodies during action songs. Children become independent individuals making choices regarding their play. Older children access the bathroom freely and inform staff where they are going. Younger children enjoy the comfort of a cuddle when having their bottles, and they remain comfortable throughout the day as they have their nappies changed regularly. Children rest and sleep as they need to, and staff check them regularly to ensure they remain safe.

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

• Parents are extremely happy with the service they and their children receive. They speak highly of the caring staff and the enjoyment their children have in nursery. Good systems for communication keep parents fully informed and involved in their child's learning.
• Staff know children very well. They develop a good knowledge of what children know and can do when they first start at nursery, and they use this to plan effectively from the start. Key information about children's individual needs enable them to tailor the care provided. Staff use information gained from their own observations to continually develop and enhance children's learning. Children make good progress.
• Children's health and well-being is nurtured. They enjoy freshly prepared, nutritious meals each day which are respectful of dietary preferences and needs. Some children prefer to bring a packed lunch which are stored appropriately until needed. Children take part in activities to further support their awareness of foods that are good for their bodies. For example, they cut pictures of different foods to create a collage of a healthy packed lunch. Staff encourage children to think about foods that have a lot of sugar in and to have these as a treat occasionally.
• Children learn the importance of good hygiene routines and understand the need to wash their hands at appropriate times throughout the day. Staff encourage children's awareness of the need to wipe their noses and discard the tissues appropriately afterwards. Drinks are available throughout the day, and staff remind children to regularly have a drink.
• Children enjoy sharing their adventures with staff. They talk about their parents and things they have been doing at home. Staff encourage children's awareness of themselves, others and their families. Children use mirrors to look at themselves, their features and to recognise the colour of their hair and eyes. They talk about the special people and animals in their lives and are excited when they talk about who is collecting them from nursery. Children complete self-portraits, and they enjoy drawing parents and grandparents too.
• Staff work in partnership with other professionals in a child's life. Their ongoing assessments enable them to identify quickly where there may be gaps in a child's learning and work closely with parents to access additional support for their child. Staff use simple signing with the children to encourage all children to communicate. Visual aids are also used to further support children's awareness of the routine and what is happening throughout the day.
• Staff meet regularly as a team to share good practice and share new ideas. They access mandatory training, such as safeguarding and paediatric first aid, and share ideas for additional training courses they are interested in. The manager is very involved and spends lots of time in the rooms with the staff and children, providing support as needed. However, systems for monitoring staff practice and help to raise the quality of the provision even further are not yet fully established.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• embed systems to monitor staff practice more effectively to support their ongoing professional development.