Heather Rabbit Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Nursery staff create a vibrant and stimulating environment, consistently providing children with engaging activities and memorable outings that ignite a genuine enthusiasm for learning. These highly motivated and passionate staff skilfully build upon each child's existing knowledge and abilities, enabling them to develop the essential skills needed for their future education. Children embrace opportunities to take on meaningful responsibilities, such as caring for guinea pigs and rabbits.

The setting makes exceptional use of its natural surroundings. Children relish woodland walks that spark creative thinking and lively conversation. They eagerly balance on logs and assess the conditions of the terrain, demonstrating impressive physical development as they navigate muddy and sometimes slippery ground. These experiences provide ample opportunities for children to extend their knowledge, challenge themselves and work collaboratively, resulting in a rich and dynamic learning environment, where every child has the chance to flourish.

Children demonstrate happiness and confidence, which leads to exemplary behaviour. They engage fully in their learning and play. They confidently recognise their own names, collect their coats, put on their shoes and pour their own drinks during mealtimes. The children exercise the freedom to make their own choices. Staff allow them time to answer questions and encourage them to attempt activities independently, resulting in children becoming highly independent learners. By encouraging teamwork and praising cooperative actions, staff help children develop responsibility and mutual respect. This approach keeps children safe and cultivates an atmosphere of kindness and collaboration among them.

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

• The manager demonstrates exceptional conscientiousness and leads the team with outstanding skill and high expectations for every child. She possesses an in-depth understanding of her staff's strengths and the positive impact they have on children's learning. Staff collaborate effectively and receive strong support, which contributes to their remarkable happiness. All staff members have served at the setting for a long time, and they consistently express how unique the setting is and how much they enjoy working there.
• Staff implement the early years foundation stage with confidence, closely observing children and using precise assessments to showcase each child's rapid progress. Drawing on their deep understanding of individual capabilities, they plan effective next steps for every learner and strongly emphasise developing children's communication skills. As excellent role models, staff support children in clearly articulating their thoughts, consistently encouraging correct context, meaning and tense. They inspire children's enthusiasm for literacy by nurturing a genuine love of books and making reading sessions lively and interactive. During these sessions, staff use props such as dressing up clothes, puppets, hats and soft toys, enabling children to act out different characters and scenes. This approach creates a vibrant environment, where children's interest in reading flourishes and their confidence in communication grows.
• Parents express their appreciation for the nursery, highlighting the sense of safety and the 'homely' atmosphere that staff create. Notably, some parents attended this nursery themselves as children and now choose to send their own children here, demonstrating the lasting positive impact and reputation of the setting. For example, one parent shared how their child returned home excited to recount a woodland walk, enthusiastically describing the thrill of spotting insects beneath fallen leaves and collaborating with friends to build a den. These memorable outdoor experiences, parents say, ignite their children's curiosity and provide a strong foundation for learning, both in and out of the nursery.
• The manager and staff actively help children develop an understanding of families, community and diversity. Recognising that many children have younger grandparents, staff organise regular visits for the children to the local old people's home. During these outings, children have opportunities to interact with older members of the community, which has a profoundly positive effect on how they perceive age, understand ageing and appreciate diversity.
• Children demonstrate exemplary behaviour throughout the nursery, a direct result of staff nurturing them and providing dedicated guidance. They willingly share toys, speak kindly to their friends and actively demonstrate positive behaviours, all of which contribute to a harmonious environment. For instance, when a child finds it difficult to manage their behaviour, staff step in immediately and work constructively with the child to resolve the situation, ensuring that every child receives support and feels valued.