Happy Nest Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children thrive in this highly stimulating nursery. They curiously explore a rich, sensory learning environment. They use multiple senses to investigate intriguing objects to explore how they feel, move and work. This stimulates children's imagination and facilitates critical thinking. Children relish in their time outside. They participate in daily physical literacy activities to develop their fundamental movement skills. For example, as children play chase, they learn to avoid obstacles while running. Children learn about nature as they help to plant and harvest fruit and vegetables they grow in the garden. They pick herbs and chop up vegetables to make experiments in the mud kitchen.

Children display an impressive understanding of the behavioural expectations of the setting as they share and take turns. Staff are skilled at supporting children to recognise their own feelings by labelling their emotions and understanding how to independently manage them. Children use manners regularly and say, 'no thank you' and 'yes please' without prompting. Children delight in learning important independent skills. They independently prepare the food table as they lay down the placemats, cups and jugs of water. Children learn about important healthy practices, such as washing their hands and brushing their teeth after breakfast. They tell visitors that their teeth 'will go black' if they do not clean them every day.

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

• Managers are highly motivated and inspirational. They have a clear vision for continued excellence and effectively reflect and evaluate their provision. They ensure the highly qualified staff team place children at the heart of everything they do. For example, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the setting remained partially open and ensured children received activities, books, and resources to continue their learning at home.
• Leaders and managers ensure staff feel supported and valued. Staff take part in regular in-house training to ensure their knowledge is up to date and effective. They say managers facilitate a positive workforce where they feel able to continue their own personal development.
• Staff deliver an ambitious curriculum that is based on children's individual needs, interests, and next steps of development. Alongside the well planned and thorough curriculum, the staff also implement intervention programmes to ensure all children are making excellent progress in their speech and language development. For example, during circle times, children practise sounding out and saying large words such as 'ambulance' and 'garbage truck'.
• Staff continuously interject new vocabulary into conversations. They describe the texture of ingredients as children help to make play dough. Staff make excellent use of sign language and picture clues to enhance children's understanding of speech. They embrace and take full advantage of the range of languages spoken by staff and children at the setting. Children who speak English as an additional language make excellent progress.
• Staff teach children new concepts weekly. They learn directional language and practise crawling under nets to reinforce their understanding of different concepts. Mathematical language is skilfully woven into all activities and conversations. For example, during a cooking activity, staff wonder whether they will need 'more' or 'less' water. This inspires children to test and assess their own thoughts and ideas. Children learn to count and measure using spoons to add ingredients into their mixtures.
• Children's learning is sequential. Staff help prepare children's transitions to school and build on the skills children already know. They provide a range of activities that strengthen children's physical abilities and concentration skills. For example, children focus intently on the creations they make using real-life tools and materials. They carefully use screwdrivers and hammers to make models that represent scenes from their favourite stories. Staff facilitate children to develop a love for books. Children borrow books to share with their families at home. The many opportunities for mark making ensure children develop a keen interest in pre-writing skills.
• Parents speak highly of the nursery and say that the 'positives are endless'. They feel the communication between staff and parents is excellent and helps them to feel fully involved in their child's care and development. Parents comment on how supportive staff are in ensuring children with additional needs continue to make superb progress due to the support plans in place.