Happy Choo Choo Nursery Greenford

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children enjoy the time that they spend at the setting. They develop close friendships with their peers. Children are confident to join in play ideas together. For example, they spend extended periods of time playing with the dinosaurs in small groups. This helps to support children with developing social skills. Staff spend time labelling different dinosaurs and identifying their features. Children engage well and demonstrate a positive attitude towards learning. Children have plenty of opportunities to develop their communication skills. Staff introduce new words to children such as 'reptile' as they explore the toy animals. Staff also explain the meaning of words such as 'vet'. This supports children to develop their vocabulary. Staff use visual images and signs to support children's understanding. For example, they use the sign for 'waiting' alongside the spoken word to encourage children to wait for their turn. This supports all children to make achievements.

Children behave well. Staff sing songs to children to support them to understand the daily routine. They sing 'everybody tidy up' at tidy up time and 'it's time to sit on the carpet' to inform children that it is circle time. This supports children to understand the settings routine.

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

• Staff are passionate about developing trusting, positive relationships with families and children. Staff support this by adapting their practice to meet the needs of children. This is achieved during settling in sessions, which are adapted to support individual circumstances. Parents are invited into the setting and staff join both parents and children in play experiences. This supports children to feel safe and comfortable within the environment.
• Staff offer extra support and reassurance when children first arrive. They offer children cuddles and engage warmly with them, as they introduce different activities. This supports children with transitions.
• Staff support children to engage in physical play to help extend their physical control and coordination. Children spend time running and climbing in the garden. Staff engage well and spend time jumping in puddles in the garden with children. They are enthusiastic and show joy when taking part in activities. This helps to ensure that children have opportunities to develop their motor skills.
• Children learn how to manage their own safety. For example, staff ask children for suggestions on how they can make the wet slide safe to use. Children recognise that the slide is slippery and suggest that they use a towel to make it dry. Opportunities like these build upon children's understanding of risk and how to keep themselves safe.
• Overall, staff provide opportunities to support all children to develop their skills.
• However, on some occasions activities are not always extended to support older children to develop and enhance their understanding. For example, older children are asked to match coloured bricks to the correct coloured cushion. Some are confident and achieve this with ease. Staff do not consistently extend learning opportunities to support children who show confidence. This means that on occasion older children are not always supported to develop their skills further.
• Overall, children behave well and show an understanding of the settings routine. However, when children do not follow the settings rules, staff are not always consistent with their approach. For example, while some staff explain to children why they need to use gentle hands, other members of staff address children's behaviour without explanation. This means that, children are not consistently supported to follow the settings rules and understand what is expected of them.
• Staff understand the importance of developing positive relationships with parents. Parents explain how staff support with the settling in process. They share how staff keep them up to date with information on how children have responded when they first join. This ensures that families feel welcome and secure.
• Staff receive a thorough induction process. Their practice is observed, and they are supported to self-reflect. Further professional development is targeted to help to enhance their knowledge and skills. Staff feel incredibly well supported in their role.
• Children have opportunities to participate within role play experiences. For example, they enjoy playing with the dinosaurs. Children also spend time making toast in the pretend kitchen. This supports children to develop their imaginative skills.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• extend learning opportunities to consistently support older children to develop their skills further
• develop a consistent approach to support children to understand the settings rules and know what is expected of them.