Handprints

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are happy and enjoy their time in this welcoming nursery. Babies quickly develop strong bonds with staff who are caring and nurturing. Their care needs are met effectively. Children who are new to the nursery settle quickly because staff find out about their care routines at home. Children happily play together, share, and take turns. In the main, they behave well. Staff recognise that some children had limited opportunities to socialise during the COVID-19 pandemic. They are vigilant and quickly address any unwanted behaviour. They explain to children why some behaviour is not acceptable and the impact their actions have on others. This is helping children to begin to manage their own behaviour. Staff use 'colour monsters' to help children talk about their emotions and how they are feeling when they come into the nursery.

Toddlers enjoy using brushes for painting and chalks to draw, which helps them to develop early writing skills. Staff introduce early mathematics into their play, such as counting. They use their fingers to help children count to 10 and to count backwards. Staff encourage communication with children. They sound out words and encourage younger children to repeat them. They encourage older children to talk about what they are doing and to share their ideas. Staff promote children's understanding of good health and hygiene. Children become independent in self-care routines ready for the eventual move to school. Older children eat with a knife and fork and can fasten their coats ready for outdoor play. They help with daily tasks, such as tidying away their toys before lunch. The youngest children use cups with lids and learn to feed themselves with spoons.

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

• The curriculum is planned well with clear aims for children in each room. In the main, staff know what children can do and where any gaps are in their learning. They plan activities to follow children's interests and support the next steps in their development. For example, staff roll balls for children who are beginning to crawl. Overall, parents are happy with the nursery. They have daily discussions with staff about children's care routines and activities they have enjoyed during the day. They have access to an online assessment system. However, this is not kept up to date, and staff do not consistently share information about children's progress with parents. This means continuity in children's learning is not fully promoted to help them make the best possible progress.
• Older children are confident and relish the challenges the outdoor environment presents. Staff encourage and praise them and children are keen to show off their skills. Staff give them challenges to extend their skills, such as 'stretching to the moon' when they jump.
• Staff support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities well.
• They work closely with other professionals, such as physiotherapists, to ensure that children make the progress they are capable of. For instance, staff adapt the environment so that children who need support with walking have the space they need to move around and be involved in activities. The provider uses additional funding well to provide toys and equipment that are used to help children make good progress.
• In general, staff support children to develop their communication and language skills well. Staff sing familiar rhymes to children and share stories with them. They pause so that children can finish well-known phrases or predict what might happen next. Staff working with babies introduce new words during children's play, such as 'bounce', 'splosh and 'splash'. Older children have a broad vocabulary and initiate conversations with staff and visitors. They are keen to talk about the things they enjoy and their learning.
• Staff do not support children who have English as an additional language as well as possible. They do not routinely use children's home languages in the nursery, or have any discussions with parents about using home languages alongside English. Despite this, children are developing a suitable understanding of English. They follow instructions and both staff and children use physical gestures or objects to make themselves understood.
• The provider recognises that staff do not always have enough time to complete tasks, such as updating the online assessment system. Due to staffing shortages, managers are often included in ratios. There is an ongoing drive to recruit more well qualified staff and the provider has put additional measures in place to promote staff's wellbeing. Despite the pressures on them, staff are happy in their roles and work well together as a team. They have access to professional development to extend their knowledge.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• strengthen relationships with parents to promote a two-way flow of communication, and gather more information about children's starting points and interests so that planning is focused on children's individual needs from the outset
• support staff to use children's home languages more in their everyday activities and help parents to understand how the use of home languages alongside English can promote and enhance and children's language development.