Harmony House Hornchurch

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are happy and thoroughly enjoy spending time at this warm and well-organised nursery. Staff offer a nurturing and stimulating learning environment. Children are confident and keen to learn. From the very start, staff take time to learn about children's interests, home lives and stages of development. This helps children to settle in comfortably. A strong key-person system helps children feel secure.

Teaching is strong. Staff help children to build on what they already know and plan a range of activities to promote all areas of learning. Staff plan activities based on children's likes and interests. For example, children love gardening and staff provide them with soil pots and seeds to explore.

Staff share their expectations for positive behaviour with the children. Staff consistently praise children for their good behaviour and achievements. Children share and take turns, and they are respectful and kind towards others.

Relationships with parents are good. Parents say staff know their children well and that children are well cared for. The staff use an online communication system to keep parents updated on their child's learning and how to support them at home. This provides continuity in learning and care routines for the children.

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

• Managers have a clear and ambitious vision. The newly appointed management team has successfully identified areas for development, such as the outdoor space. Staff say they enjoy working at the nursery and feel valued and supported in their roles. A robust induction process, followed by a programme of professional development, support and supervision, helps them continually improve their practice.
• Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are supported well. Staff with responsibility for supporting children with SEND are committed to collaborating with parents and other professionals to ensure that children receive targeted support.
• Staff know children well. Each child's key person tracks their achievements and undertakes regular assessments to help outline gaps in their development. Staff are knowledgeable about how children learn and plan age-appropriate experiences. For example, older children enjoy practising their writing skills on a large chalk board in the outside area and babies delight as they join in with familiar action songs.
• Children learn about how to keep themselves healthy and well. They follow self-care routines, such as washing their hands before mealtimes. Staff respond to children's personal care routines with respect. For example, they ask children's permission to wipe their noses or take them to the bathroom to change their nappy.
• Staff promote children's personal development well. Family photos are displayed on the walls, which helps children to develop a strong sense of belonging and to value each other's individuality. Children celebrate festivals throughout the year, such as Christmas and Ramadan. However, staff do not always give children opportunities to explore communities beyond their own further.
• Staff support children to develop a love of books. Children are captivated by stories that are read to them. Staff use props to engage younger children to be involved in the story. Older children join in with familiar phrases and anticipate what will happen next. Children eagerly select books from the nursery home-lending library.
• Children enjoy social mealtimes, sitting with their friends and staff, and chatting happily. They have healthy fruit for their snack and pour their milk or water themselves. Staff work to develop children's understanding of healthy lifestyles. They teach children how to care for their teeth. Children enjoy plenty of time outside being physically active.
• Overall, staff support the development of children's communication and language well. The nursery buzzes with conversations. Children giggle when staff sing familiar songs, they follow the actions and sing along. However, teaching strategies to support younger children, and those who speak English as an additional language, to communicate are not consistently implemented.
• Staff promote the development of children's mathematical skills. Children are encouraged to talk about numbers and compare quantities through play.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support children to explore similarities and differences between different faiths and cultural communities
• continue to enhance support for children's early communication skills to a higher level.