Hearts and Minds

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are greeted by cheerful staff as they arrive at this welcoming nursery. Children are eager to explore their environment. They happily choose from a range of activities, which staff provide for them based on their interests. For instance, children enthusiastically play with dinosaurs and take part in messy play activities. Wonderful outdoor spaces allow children to develop good coordination skills, using the tricycles skilfully and safely. Staff continuously praise children for their achievements, which supports them to be confident learners. Children in the toddler room enjoy investigating and testing out what they know. For example, they are fascinated working out how to use pincers to explore the sand activity.

Staff form warm and nurturing relationships with children as managers ensure there is an effective key-person system in place. Parents are kept informed of children's learning and development and hold the setting and staff in high regard.

Children are supported to develop a love of reading. As a result, they independently choose to look at books from available book baskets. Older children vote on the book they wish to read. Most staff role model language well. Children are kind to each other and know how to share. When their friends approach an activity, they are welcomed and join in too.

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

• Staff have high expectations for all children. Most staff are able to model language well, as a result older children grasp an understanding of language development and become confident talkers. On occasion, the youngest children are not given the opportunity to practise single words before moving on to two words.
• Staff provide opportunities for children to develop their understanding of mathematical concepts. Older children confidently estimate, compare and use positional language as they play. For example, playing with water outside, the children concentrate well. They work out how much water is needed and what angles are required, as they pour water down gutters to move objects that are stuck.
• Children are prepared well for their move to school. For example, staff have group discussions with children to help them to become familiar with the school routines. Following the recent COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic, staff support children's emotional well-being during new changes in routines. Children love to dress up in the school uniforms provided and they excitedly chat about going to 'big school'.
• The nursery is inclusive in it's practice. Staff work closely with parents, health professionals and schools. They ensure children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are supported to reach their potential. Staff lead on individual plans for children and apply for specialist funding to purchase resources and support their progress in nursery.
• Children are provided with good opportunities to be healthy. The children eat a wide variety of nutritious foods that are prepared freshly each day on site. Mealtimes are social occasions, where older children confidently chat with staff about where their food comes from and what makes them strong. Older children are confident as they serve themselves and pour their own drinks.
• Parents report that their children are happy and confident. They appreciate the ways in which staff keep them informed and involved in the life of the nursery. Staff share information about children's progress frequently with all parents. They host a charity barbeque event for all the parents and children to enjoy. One parent described the nursery as a 'huge support for the family, the staff always go the extra mile'.
• Staff work well together to provide a culture of high standards, which includes how children's behaviour is nurtured. The manager communicates expectations well. The manager observes staff practice. However, on occasion, this is not used effectively to develop their knowledge and skills even further. Staff report feeling valued by leaders and managers.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• ensure all staff understand the areas for development that leaders have identified they need to develop, and monitor their progress more closely
• ensure all staff are able to achieve the highest level of communication and language development for younger children, through effective questioning and modelling language.