Heirs and Graces Day Nursery (Tring) Ltd

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children flourish and thrive at this warm and homely nursery. They arrive happily and are excited to see their friends. Children settle quickly and enjoy a healthy and nutritious breakfast. Babies enjoy sensitive, warm and nurturing attention from trusted adults, who know them very well. Their personal care routines are closely mirrored to those at home because of the strong partnerships built with parents.

Older children visit the local forest and become deeply engaged in the natural environment. They use sticks to paint on large paper canvasses hanging from trees. Children remember in detail the rules of the forest. For example, they remember not to go near the yew tree because 'it might hurt your skin'. Children form close bonds with their peers, sitting together on logs to share stories. They enjoy kind and caring friendships.

Children consistently engage in exciting and enjoyable activities. They have great fun making a range of delicacies in the outdoor mud kitchen. Younger children show excitement and wonder as they roll balls through long tubes. Children use their imaginations to export themselves to magical places, such as the far-away pirate lands. They create detailed treasure maps, explaining that they have 'disguised' them to keep them safe.

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

• Children benefit from a rich and ambitious curriculum. Leaders understand what they want children to learn. The highly skilled staff use their extensive knowledge and experience to create awe-inspiring and exciting activities for children. For example, babies explore the 'realness' of daffodils through touch and smell before creating their own pictures with paint.
• The engaging environments provide an extensive range of learning opportunities. Children develop problem-solving skills as they plan and build structures from large bamboos. In the well-equipped mud kitchen, children develop mathematical concepts. For example, they estimate the quantity of water needed to make a soup. They identify the change in consistency of mud as they add more water.
• The forest school experience provides children with vastly open-ended experiences. They handle a range of tools and learn about the natural environment. Children actively lead their play as they navigate the wonders of the woodland. For example, they use an old tree stump as a pirate ship. They have developed a secure understanding about how to keep themselves safe.
• Children are showered with new vocabulary as adults narrate alongside their play. As a result, they use language incredibly well. For example, they describe herbs as 'minty' and 'yucky'. Children show a deep love of books as they sit with adults and explore the pages. Babies are rapidly developing first words as they chat back and forth with adults.
• Partnership working is highly effective in ensuring that children make rapid progress in their learning. 'Share the care' forms provide all those involved with children an overview of their interests and talents. Key people across settings develop partnerships in order to fully support children's learning. Links between the special educational needs coordinator (SENCo) and health professionals further support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) to close gaps in learning and development.
• Leaders have developed valuable links with the local community. Children visit the museum, memorial gardens and church. Community members, such as teachers and dentists, visit the nursery to help children learn about their roles. As a result, children are forming an understanding of their place in the community and others who contribute.
• Leadership and management is exceptional. Every effort is taken to evaluate and assess the quality of provision delivered. Leaders use meticulous self-evaluation and assessment to identify areas for improvement. Regular and sharply focused supervision and professional development ensures that staff receive ongoing and relevant training. This leads to consistent improvements to the already superb quality of teaching.
• Parents express their happiness and gratitude. They are delighted at the progress their children make and speak highly of the wonderfully caring and supportive staff. Parents comment that they feel very involved in their children's learning and are impressed by the new skills and knowledge their children develop at the nursery.