Happy Days Nursery, Saltford

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Young children happily enter the nursery and confidently separate from their parents. Staff warmly welcome the children and show interest in how they are. Children show they feel safe and secure as they readily approach staff, chat to them about their news and engage in the activities. Children show they are familiar with the routines, as they hang up their bags and coats and enter the playroom to find their friends. Children concentrate well when they listen to a story and talk together about the pictures, showing a positive attitude towards their learning.

The provider offers a broad and balanced curriculum. There is a strong focus on promoting young children's communication and language, social and emotional skills, and physical development. Children make good progress and gain the skills and knowledge they need for their move on to pre-school. On occasion, during adult-led activities, staff do not focus on what individual children need to learn next to help them make even better progress.

Staff have high expectations of what young children can achieve. Children feed themselves using cutlery, drink from open cups and learn to put their coats and shoes on before they go outside to play. Children confidently tell staff they need to wear their coats outside because it is cold, for example. They help make 'gloop' and play dough, measuring the ingredients and mixing them. Staff ask children what they think they may need, and children answer that they must add more water.

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

• Parents report that they are happy with the progress their children are making. They say staff give them daily feedback about the activities their children enjoy, and they receive information via an online application about their children's progress. Parents say staff are happy to support them with aspects of their children's development, such as potty training. However, not all parents know what staff are currently focusing on with their child's development so they can continue with this at home.
• Staff promote the children's language skills well. They narrate what young children are doing and repeat simple words to reinforce vocabulary, such as 'mix, mix'. They add new words, such as when a child says 'car', they reply with, 'Yes, it is a big car.' Staff repeat words back correctly to children. For example, when a child wants 'piggies' in the gloop, they sensitively say, correctly, 'Let's find the pigs.' This helps broaden children's vocabulary and children become confident speakers.
• Staff report that they feel well supported in the nursery. They attend regular mandatory training and have recently attended training about understanding children's emotions. They now use a book about colours and 'feeling jars' to help young children express their feelings and emotions. Staff report that this has had a positive impact on children's behaviour.
• Young children enjoy being active outside in the fresh air. They negotiate space well as they ride around on the balance bikes and ride-on toys, and confidently climb up the slide. Children develop confidence in taking managed risks as they climb up the rope ladder and over the log bridge. Indoors, babies learn how to move their bodies in various ways. They move like different animals to the sounds they hear.
• Young children show they are developing a love of books. They independently go to the book area and choose the books they wish to look at. Children hold the books correctly and turn the pages, talking about the pictures confidently. Staff check children's prior learning as they ask questions about what happens in the story.
• Children's behaviour is very good. Staff are positive role models and gently remind and encourage the children to share, take turns and use good manners, such as 'please' and 'thank you'. Staff explain to children why some behaviours are unacceptable. For example, they remind children not to stand up on the chair as they may fall and bump themselves.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• help staff focus more precisely on individual children's next steps during adult-led activities to help them make even better progress
• enhance partnerships with parents so they know what their children's next steps are and can continue learning at home.