Happy Days Nursery Cheswick

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Inspirational managers have a clear vision for their broad and highly ambitious curriculum. This is thoroughly understood by staff and is delivered extremely well across the nursery. This means children benefit from a wide range of experiences and learning opportunities which build on what children know and helps them make progress.

Children are warmly welcomed by caring staff and settle in quickly. They share strong attachments to their key person. This helps them feel safe and emotionally secure. Children join in activities excitedly. For example, babies gather together for a music session and older children delight in counting and swirling petals in a water tray, saying 'Look, I've got salad!' Children love to experiment, for example, by altering the course of water flow using the moveable water chutes. They use their imaginations and laugh as they make potions by squeezing teabags into muddy concoctions.

Children's behaviour is exemplary. They share fairly, wait their turn and speak to each other respectfully. The atmosphere is very calm because children are busy and happily occupied in their play and learning. For pre-school children, leaders and staff provide exceptionally well-planned preparations for the next stage in the learning journey. This means that children who go to school have the opportunity to gain the knowledge and skills needed for a smooth transition and a confident start.

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

• The curriculum includes several initiatives which expand on children's experiences. For example, very young children benefit from communication and language programmes such as 'talking toddlers' and the musical activity 'sing and sign'. Babies enthusiastically join in with the actions, learning new words, signs and concepts such as 'high' and 'low'. Older children participate in the EcoSchool programme where they learn to respect nature by handling natural materials, gardening, watching the bug hotel and visiting woodland. They also learn about recycling, reducing waste and saving energy.
• Staff are excellent role models. They speak clearly and make sure children understand what they say. They give children time to think so that they can absorb new words or instructions. For example, staff provide wooden pieces of fruit for toddlers to 'cut' in half. At lunchtime, staff wait for older children to attempt to use a knife to cut up food, gently reminding them of how to use the fork to help. Children learn to do things for themselves and build up their independence skills.
• Children learn to explore their feelings, for example, by visiting 'emotion stations', practising yoga or spending time in the sensory room. Staff respond to all the children sensitively. For example, across the nursery, children look at real flowers in a vase. Staff encourage children to talk about or represent what they see or feel, using mark-making materials. Staff highly value all children's efforts and interests. For example, staff sit with babies quietly as they gaze at a flower with complete fascination. Children develop a strong sense of identity.
• Children benefit from regular connections with their local diverse community. They visit the care home and share singing sessions with the residents. They learn about road safety on walks. They have visits from the police and learn about their work. Staff link all these experiences into the curriculum to reinforce children's learning, for example, by having a road safety box used for role play.
• The parent partnership is extremely strong. Leaders and managers keep parents up to date with children's well-being and learning through daily opportunities to talk and by use of an online tool. The nursery has informative displays, for example on oral health, toilet training and upcoming events such as an open day. The nursery provides activity packs to take home and runs a lending library. Parents speak very highly of the care and exceptional support given to their children and their families.
• Enthusiastic and energetic leaders and managers provide exceptional support to staff through daily interactions, regular meetings and training. There is an embedded culture of improvement and team well-being which is inspirational to staff and leads to highly effective practice.