Handprints Day Nursery And Pre School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children happily separate from their parents at the door, waving goodbye as they go to find their friends to play with. Children develop a love of stories and books. They cuddle with staff as they read to them. Staff help children learn how to handle books with care so that the pages do not get ripped. They encourage children to look at books together. Pre-school children delight in sharing their knowledge with each other as they name the different types of dinosaurs they can see in the pictures of their favourite books.

Children are supported well to learn new skills. Staff demonstrate to them how to use scissors. When children struggle, staff encourage them to persevere and praise their efforts. Pre-school children work together to create an obstacle course out of tyres and planks of wood. They jump into and out of the tyres and hold their arms out wide as they walk carefully along the planks of wood. Children help their friends to balance if they struggle. They take hold of their friend's hand, telling them to 'walk slowly'. Staff teach children to manage risk. Toddlers listen to instructions and demonstrate that they understand what is being asked of them. They stay in line, singing 'one behind the other', as they hold on to a handrail to walk down the steps into the garden.

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

• The manager and staff have a clear vision of what they want children to learn from the curriculum. Staff focus on supporting children to have the skills they need for the next stage in their learning, including their eventual move to school. Staff get to know the children in their care well. They use information gathered from parents and from regular observations of children to find out children's individual interests. Staff include these as they plan for children's next steps in learning.
• Staff ensure that children who need extra help receive it at the earliest opportunity. They work closely with parents and other professionals to put appropriate support in place for children who speak English as an additional language and for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Staff use sign language, alongside words, to help children understand instructions and encourage the development of their language and communication skills.
• Staff incorporate numbers and mathematical language into daily routines and play. Toddlers fill and empty plant pots with soil. Staff support them to count how many scoops of soil it takes to fill the plant pots to the top. Pre-school children confidently count beyond 10 as they help staff sort out buttons. As children play imaginatively with toy dinosaurs, staff encourage them to order them by size. Children successfully identify the largest and the smallest.
• Staff support children to develop their physical skills in a variety of ways. Babies laugh with delight as they crawl after balloons. They watch as staff send balloons into the air, reaching their arms up to catch them as they fall. Toddlers notice the marks that they make as they paint. They tell staff 'that's my daddy' as they use brushes with control to paint circles.
• Parents are complimentary about the nursery. They comment that their children enjoy attending and have made good progress in their development, particularly in their speech, independence and social skills. Parents say that they are kept well informed about their children's achievements and the experiences that their children have each day.
• At mealtimes, staff encourage children to be independent. Pre-school children take it in turn to pour their own drinks and help themselves to food. Staff remind children to use good manners and say 'please' and 'thank you'. However, the snack-time routine for toddlers is chaotic. Children who finish their snack first move around the dining room putting on coats and shoes to go outside. This unsettles the children who are still eating.
• Children have the opportunity to play outdoors each day and exercise in the fresh air. Staff provide children with freshly cooked healthy meals. They encourage children to wash their hands before eating. However, staff do not consistently help children to understand how these things contribute to their good health.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• improve the organisation of routines for toddlers so that they can remain focused and engaged
• help children understand how to develop a healthy lifestyle.