Harwich Connexions Noah's Nursery Ltd

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Staff implement their curriculum and development aims for the children effectively. They help children become confident and independent learners, in readiness for their move on to school. Children arrive keen and eager to start their day and explore the activities on offer. They are warmly greeted on arrival by staff who show a genuine interest, and leave their parents with ease. Staff work hard to ensure effective partnerships with parents are established. This means they gain appropriate information about the children and how best to support their learning. The curriculum is designed around the nursery ethos of developing children's emotional and personal development, so that they have a strong sense of self, and supporting children to become effective communicators. Children's interests are followed to ensure they fully engage in all on offer both indoors and outdoors.

Children have developed close bonds with the attentive and enthusiastic staff who are good role models. Children delight in the praise they receive for their achievements. They understand the high expectations of the staff as these are consistently reinforced throughout the session. Overall, children's behaviour is good. They learn the skills needed to be independent learners as they are encouraged to take care of their personal belongings. They learn name recognition as they find their pegs or placemats at lunchtime. They are encouraged and supported to use the bathroom independently, with staff on hand if help is required.

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

• The quality of teaching is good. All children, including those who require additional support, make good progress from their starting points. Staff provide learning opportunities that build on what children already know. For example, children's interests and fascination of London Bridge is fully supported. Staff help them make their own bridge and discuss the river that flows underneath. They find information and pictures of bridges, and other famous landmarks, to enrich their learning further.
• Partnerships with parents are strong. Parents value the communication with staff and the support their children and family receive. Parents say there is a constant two-way flow of communication. The management takes time every day to greet and welcome children and families. Therefore, parents feel fully included in their child's development, progress and achievements.
• Staff are led by a committed and dedicated management team. All staff speak positively of their roles at nursery. They say they feel valued and their ideas are welcome. Staff speak of the support and encouragement they receive for their own personal development and recognise this has a positive impact for the children.
• Staff constantly engage children in meaningful conversation. They have a clear comprehension of how children develop their conversation skills, and have introduced strategies gained from recent training to improve outcomes. They introduce new words and signs to challenge children's ability to communicate and increase their vocabulary. For example, descriptive words, such as stretchy, thin and wobbly, are used during activities.
• Children enjoy fresh air and exercise daily as they play in the garden. They show fascination as they master the skill of blowing water from a large tube. They are good communicators and ask lots of questions. For example, they show interest in the blossom on the trees and wonder where the apples have gone. However, while play in the garden is popular, the organisation of some resources and use of space means it limits opportunities for children to access activities and for them to fully express themselves.
• Babies are happy, comfortable and settled. Babies have formed close and trusting bonds with their key person. Babies show sustained concentration as they participate in a familiar 'what's in the bucket' activity. They watch with anticipation and listen carefully as staff describe items they pull from the bucket and use simple repetitive words that help support language development. However, on occasions the learning intentions during adult-led activities are not effective and too ambitious. For example, staff provide real fruits in the role-play area with the intention to discuss textures and where they grow. However, this is not understood by the babies and they want to put them in their mouths.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• organise the outdoor environment to ensure maximum space makes access easier for children, particularly when they are leading their own play
• ensure adult-led activities for younger children are appropriate and focus on their level of development and understanding.