Happy Days Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children and babies thoroughly enjoy their time in this inclusive and welcoming nursery. An invaluable home visit before children start, means children settle smoothly and swiftly as staff implement bespoke settling-in processes. Children are well behaved and show acts of kindness by hugging their peers affectionately on arrival. Babies and children feel safe as staff consistently implement strategies that support their understanding of daily routines, so they know what is expected of them.

Staff offer the right level of support to ensure children learn to risk access environments themselves. Children frequently express the pride they feel in their achievements. They excitedly raise their hands after independently pulling themselves up to stand on a wooden bridge. Staff consistently provide meaningful praise for their efforts, which motivates children to continue to test their physical limits, express themselves and build their self-confidence.

Children love the endless choice of stimulating play experiences and continuous access to outdoor play. They learn about the world around them with bus rides and regular nature walks in the local community. Children plant seeds in the nursey allotment and learn about life cycles. Staff promote healthy eating habits by giving children the opportunity to taste what they have grown.

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

• Overall, teaching is very good. During a group activity, staff introduce age-appropriate resources, such as factual picture books, which prompt interesting discussions and further children's knowledge about road safety. Children become highly engaged in this topic as staff talk about safely crossing the road using a zebra crossing. Staff ask purposeful questions and, as children recall what they have previously learned, it helps to consolidate and embed this knowledge. However, staff do not consistently make effective use of available resources, to maximise children's engagement and help them build meaningful connections in their learning.
• Staff report excellent well-being. They appreciate training opportunities, which they say enhances their teaching practice and provides children with the best possible start in life.
• Caring staff ensure all children receive one-to-one time with them. This means children build strong and secure attachments with the attentive staff, who get to know them well. Additionally, robust and regular assessments ensure staff are knowledgeable about children's progress. This ensures staff provide sequenced learning, building on what children already know and can do.
• The management team has a clear and ambitious curriculum intent. The team ensures this is securely embedded throughout the nursery by being an active presence in the rooms and role modelling effective teaching practices. For example, young children learn good hygiene routines and develop independence from the start. The conscientious staff gently encourage babies to wash their hands before and after eating. As children move through the nursery, they automatically wash their hands before eating and after visiting the toilet, demonstrating increasing independence in their self-care routines.
• Children display excellent manners and play cooperatively with their peers. Fun-loving staff are regularly invited into children's play. Staff use these welcoming opportunities to sensitively reinforce the high expectations they have for children's behaviour. For example, when children have a disagreement about a popular toy, staff listen to them and encourage them to talk through their feelings. This supports children to learn to respect others, accept the needs of others and begin to resolve any conflicts themselves.
• Support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities is highly effective. The management team and staff support parents with any referrals and put plans in place to help close any gaps in learning. Children make significant progress in their speech and language development. Staff consistently respond attentively to babies first babbles as they try and communicate. Staff introduce new words and vocabulary through play and, with repetition, children begin to understand their meaning and use these words purposefully.
• Parents report an overwhelming appreciation for the excellent care their children receive. They applaud the daily, face-to-face communication and regular assessments of their children's progress, so they can further support their child's learning and development at home.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• help staff to continuously review the use of available resources to increase children's engagement and enhance their overall learning and development.