Happy Days Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are very confident and arrive at the nursery happily. They cheerfully wave goodbye to parents. The new drop-off arrangements, due to the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic, do not affect children's entry to the setting. Children bound in, eager to play and explore. They have close relationships with staff and their friends. This contributes towards children's high levels of self-esteem and emotional security.

The manager and staff have high expectations of all children. Overall, children develop good skills to support their future learning. Staff provide interesting play areas, which reflect children's interests and needs. Children are enthusiastic learners and become quickly absorbed in their play. They thoroughly enjoy listening attentively to stories and watching puppet shows. These activities provide opportunities for children to revisit their learning, and capture their attention.

Children are well behaved. They have a good attitude to their learning. Children are encouraged to take responsibility for managing their behaviour, in and out of the setting. For example, on a trip to the shops, children check around them before they safely cross roads.

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

• Older children learn skills to support their move on to school. For example, children learn mathematical concepts as they play, such as counting and talking about size and shape. They confidently use jugs to pour water through a waterwheel and are able to take turns.
• Staff have good arrangements in place to support children who are learning English as an additional language. They find out about the vocabulary children use in their home language. Staff use interactive resources and visual picture prompts to support young children's language development. Although children's language is promoted well, on occasion, staff do not consistently allow children sufficient time to answer a question before another is asked. This does not allow them to think fully, and share their ideas and thoughts.
• Children's behaviour is good. Staff have high expectations of children's behaviour. Children build positive and respectful relationships, and enjoy sharing experiences. They demonstrate good listening skills and move between the routines with minimal disruption.
• Partnerships with parents are good. Parents report that they are very pleased with the setting. They say staff are helpful, kind and approachable. Although parents do not enter the nursery during the coronavirus pandemic, staff discuss children with their parents and offer advice to parents to support children's learning at home.
• Staff help children to understand the natural world through practical experiences. For instance, children investigate a bee they find outdoors. They observe the bee using magnifying glasses and talk about the importance of bees in nature. Children enjoy tasting honey on their pancakes. They use yellow and black paint to represent the stripes as they create paintings of the bees they have observed.
• Staff plan opportunities for children to develop good independence skills and manage their personal care. Older children carefully cut fruit and vegetables for their snacks and use the bathroom independently. They understand the importance of good handwashing.
• The curriculum is well designed to meet the emerging needs of children attending. The dedicated manager considers the sequence in which children are taught the skills that they need to make good progress. Her plans play an integral part in the development of the setting and how staff promote children's progression.
• Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those in receipt of additional funding make good progress in their learning. The manager and staff carry out regular assessments of children's development. They monitor children's progress regularly, which helps them to address and close any gaps in children's learning quickly.
• Children have many opportunities to use technology in their learning. For example, they confidently use interactive light boards for making marks. Children enthusiastically use mini recorders and tablets to select their favourite songs during music time.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• make greater use of opportunities to develop children's thinking skills, and to promote their language development by ensuring that they have sufficient time to respond.