Happy Days Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children develop secure attachments to staff, resulting in them feeling safe and secure in their care. Babies seek out staff when they want comfort and reassurance, and this is freely provided to them. Children behave well and are supported to learn the nursery rules and boundaries. Staff encourage two-year-olds to manage their emotions by using words and not actions. Staff remind them to use kind hands and to tell other children to 'stop' if they do not like what they are doing. For example, when a child refuses to share with another child, staff encourage them to say 'stop' and to not snatch the toys back.

Managers monitor staff, providing relevant guidance to support their ongoing professional development. Staff implement the curriculum well as they plan interesting, hands-on learning experiences to support children's engagement and ongoing development. For example, children learn about life cycles when observing the changes tadpoles go through before turning into frogs. Early identification of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities ensures that these children are provided with focused support. This helps to narrow gaps in children's learning.

Parents like the nursery for its homely feel and confirm that staff are friendly and supportive. Parents receive lots of information to keep them informed about how their children are progressing. Home learning packs are also provided as children get older, to provide parents with ideas for how they can continue to support their children's learning at home.

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

• Children's physical skills are promoted well. Young babies are provided with tummy time, which allows them to develop their core strength in space where they can move freely. Staff support children as they get older with crawling and then walking. Carefully positioned resources, including bars on mirrors, allow babies to develop strength as they learn to pull themselves up to a standing position.
• Staff introduce lots of singing into everyday play experiences for babies and two-year-olds. During singing time, staff use a basket filled with resources to enable babies to choose their favourite song. Babies listen carefully as staff sing their chosen song, and some of them begin to join in with the associated actions. These opportunities help to support children's early communication skills.
• As children get older, staff hold conversations and ask questions to further support their ongoing communication and language. Staff also plan large group/circle time activities to try to support children's listening and attention skills. However, this objective is not always successfully achieved. For example, sometimes, one staff member leads the activity, with little support from other staff. This means that when some children begin to lose focus and the lead staff member tries to reengage them, it becomes disruptive to the other children.
• Children are supported to learn clear routines. Staff give clear verbal time warnings to pre-school children so that they know how long they have before it is time to tidy up. Staff help babies and two-year-olds to learn when activities are coming to an end by singing a simple 'bye-bye' song. This helps young children to know that the activity is coming to an end.
• All children enjoy listening to stories. They often choose their own books and take them to staff to be read. Staff introduce children to core books and linked activities over a month. However, staff do not utilise the books with the children, often only reading them if the children choose them. They do not ensure that these are read regularly to the children or encourage them to participate in the linked activities. This does not support children effectively to learn familiar phases and words from these chosen stories.
• Children's good health is promoted. Staff help children to learn to manage their own health and hygiene routines. For example, when children have the skills, they are encouraged to try to wipe their own noses. For the youngest children, staff are respectful, as they announce what they are going to do. This helps children to understand what is happening so that they happily oblige and have their noses wiped. During nappy changing routines, staff interact and chat to children, helping to further create secure bonds, attachments, and communication skills.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• consider how to support children's growing listening and attention skills during large-group activities
• clarify how staff will consistently introduce children to the chosen core stories, helping them to repeat and recall words and phrases as appropriate.