Happy Hands Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are happy when they arrive, and they quickly settle to play. Staff welcome children and their sensitive support helps them feel confident to separate from their parents. Babies have their needs met well. They enjoy exploring outside and staff are attentive to them. Toddlers learn about textures as they help to make play dough and enjoy sitting together to look at books. Pre-school children are confident to choose their own activities. They become deeply involved in imaginative games, where they use toy vehicles and diggers to transport pebbles. Children are learning skills that help prepare them for going to school. For example, they eagerly try to put on school shirts and dresses.

Staff know the children well and they are sensitive to their needs. Staff help children with their behaviour, they provide reassurance and time for those who become upset. Staff give children lots of praise when they behave well and when they show care towards their friends. Children are motivated to get involved in the activities and they benefit from staff's positive interactions with them. Staff follow children's interests and consider children's next steps in learning when planning activities. For example, children explore a variety of red coloured fruit and vegetables. They are curious about how they look and taste.

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

• The management and staff team work effectively together. Staff feel supported and valued by the management team for their individual skills. The team have a reflective approach and continually consider how they can make changes to ensure children's needs are met. The managers show a commitment to keeping staff's knowledge up to date through training. Changes to the curriculum planning increases staff's confidence, which has a positive impact on the interactions they have with children.
• Staff swiftly identify children who are not making expected progress in their development. They work closely with the special educational needs coordinator and children's parents to help children catch up. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are supported effectively. Staff liaise with other agencies who are involved to ensure children receive a consistent approach to their care and learning.
• Overall, staff are effective in their interactions with children as they play. Staff encourage children to speak as they give them time to share their ideas. Staff use descriptive words, such as 'crunchy, squidgy' and 'slimy' that children copy as they play. However, sometimes, children sit for long periods waiting for group activities to start and the activity is not meaningful for all the children taking part. This results in some children becoming distracted and they lose interest.
• Parents are happy with the nursery. They make compliments about how the staff work with them to ensure any specific needs their children have are met. Parents comment on the progress their children make in relation to their confidence and their communication and language skills. Staff work with parents to broaden children's experiences. For example, children learn about countries their friend's families originate from, they look at different foods, clothing, and flags.
• Staff provide reassurance and support for children to try new experiences. Children are encouraged to lead their own play and explore, and staff praise them for their achievements. For example, children pour their own water, flour, and salt to make pretend ice cream. Staff talk to them about how they are stirring and the texture of their mixture. Children remain focused and engaged as they make their own sensory bottles. They concentrate as they pour glitter and place pretend gems and pom-poms into bottles before adding water. However, staff do not always encourage children to think about the possible risks in their play or how they could minimise the risks to keep themselves safe.
• Children respond to the clear and consistent boundaries staff have in place for behaviour. Overall, children know the routines of the day and what comes next. For example, at the end of the outside play session, children enthusiastically help tidy up the garden. They call their friends over and come together in a line ready to go indoors.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• improve the organisation of adult-led group times to ensure they are meaningful for all children taking part and that children do not sit for too long waiting for the session to start
• help staff develop their skills and confidence to support children in considering the risks in their play and how they can minimise identified risks.