Growing Up Green

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children and their families are personally greeted by welcoming leaders and staff as they arrive to start their day. Children are quick to settle in and excitedly delve into the many activities on offer that have been thoughtfully organised by staff. Children benefit from a well-sequenced, ambitious curriculum that staff skilfully implement. They provide stimulating and enriching activities that intertwine children's individual curiosities as well as their own tailored next steps in learning. As a result, children are motivated to learn and sustain interest in activities where staff revisit and build on new knowledge they have learned. For example, during a small group activity, older children practise pronunciation of individual letter sounds. Staff support them to link these sounds to words, such as rainbow. Staff then provide thought-provoking prompts that spark conversations between children. They excitedly recall how the 'rain and sun clash in the clouds' to make a rainbow. This supports children to make connections and progress in their learning.

Staff recognise the importance of strong attachments and children feeling emotionally secure. The bonds they create with children are nurturing, trusting and enable children, including those who are very new to the nursery, to settle with ease. Staff are positive role models to children, which contributes to their good behaviour as they play and build their own early friendships. In addition, staff are respectful and attentive to children. They are in tune with the youngest children's needs and engage with older children to find out their thoughts and ideas. This supports children to feel valued and develop a sense of belonging.

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

• Leaders and staff are dedicated to their individual roles. They have made the necessary improvements promptly since the last inspection. This helps to ensure children's safety and security.
• Leaders proactively support staff to ensure that they can plan and deliver a meaningful curriculum that is ambitious for all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Staff know what children have learned and what they want to teach them next and why, across all areas of learning. Consequently, all children receive a sequential and personalised learning approach that meets their individual care and learning needs.
• Children with SEND are supported by caring and nurturing staff to make the progress they are individually capable of. Prompt intervention, effective individual support plans and strong partnership working means that children receive consistent targeted support where they need it the most.
• Generally, children's behaviour is well supported by staff, who set good examples to children. This has a positive effect on children's own behaviour and kindness. However, due to weaknesses in the organisation of some transitional times for the older children, particularly when preparing for lunchtime, staff are not always on hand to provide the consistent support and guidance children need. Therefore, older children are not always consistently supported to understand behavioural expectations.
• Children's communication and language skills are actively and positively promoted by staff. They narrate children's play and use single words and repetition to support the youngest children as they learn their first words. Older children have opportunities to join in purposeful back-and-forth conversations. Staff introduce new words, such as 'x-ray' and 'overcast', in context and with clear explanations. Staff compliment these opportunities by using consistent, expressive gesture alongside visual aids to ensure that all children's communication skills are developed regardless of their age and stage of development. This enables all children to become confident communicators.
• Children are generally encouraged and supported to be independent. They choose their play and are well supported in developing their self-care routines. However, staff working with the younger children do not always recognise opportunities to consistently promote children to gain the skills they need to encourage the independence they strive for.
• Children's good health is well promoted. They have ample opportunities to engage in physical play, receive healthy meals and are supported by staff to learn positive hygiene routines. Furthermore, staff help children to understand the importance of maintaining good oral health. These opportunities support children's growing understanding of leading a healthy lifestyle.
• Partnerships with parents are strong. All staff work hard to involve parents at every opportunity in their child's early education. Parents are highly complementary of the care, education and experiences they and their children receive. They report that staff and leaders support them as unique families, enabling a personalised two-way-flow of information. Parents value the online app and daily updates they receive, which provides a glimpse into their children's day at nursery.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• review the organisation of some daily transitions, particularly mealtimes, to ensure that older children receive consistent support with behavioural expectations
• support staff to consistently recognise how to further develop younger children's independence skills.