Henry's Hut

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Staff think carefully how they can help children to settle in this safe, welcoming and nurturing nursery. They collect lots of information from parents about their children's development and care needs. This helps staff to meet children's needs from the start. Children are very happy in the nursery and have lovely relationships with staff. They run in happily, eager to start their day. Staff display photos of children and their families at a low-level as they enter, to help to reassure children.

Staff want all children to be independent and lifelong learners, who are ready for school. They adapt activities to engage and motivate children. For example, children develop their coordination in a variety of ways in preparation for writing. Younger children make marks in coloured rice with sticks and manipulate dough. Older children squeeze paint in spray bottles onto the fence and use tweezers to pick up small pom-poms. Children behave exceptionally well. This is because staff have clear expectations for their behaviour and help them to resolve minor conflicts. They celebrate children's accomplishments on a 'wow wall' and give them specific praise. This helps children to learn what they have done well.

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

• Staff plan a curriculum that takes account of what individual children need to learn next. This helps children to achieve well in their development. Staff use additional funding to widen children's experiences of the world further. For instance, children visit the local greengrocer's, and staff arranged for a farm to bring lambs into the nursery.
• Staff support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) very well. They work hard to make sure that all children are included. Staff use strategies, such as visual aids and signs, to help children with SEND communicate. They work closely with other settings which children also attend and external professionals, to ensure that they meet all children's needs.
• Managers support staff well. They provide staff with regular advice and guidance to extend their practice. Staff are offered regular training, such as developing children's learning outdoors. The quality of interactions between staff and children is very good, and at times, outstanding. The manager has plans in place to provide focused training to staff to enhance their practice to reach an even higher level, such as to support children's communication and language development even further.
• Children are articulate and keen to communicate. Staff engage them in lovely conversations and introduce new vocabulary to children. For instance, when children play in the water with sea creatures, staff introduce new words, such as 'octopus' and 'tentacles'. Children sing lots of songs throughout the day, excited to choose a prop out the 'song bag'.
• Staff plan whole-group times at transition times during the day. Older children listen with interest to a story about a monster starting school. They learn about feelings, such as being anxious, scared or nervous. However, on occasion, staff do not consistently take account of what younger children need to learn next during these activities, to engage them fully in their learning.
• Children learn about the importance of healthy lifestyles. They have constant access to fresh air in the nursery's very stimulating outdoor area. Children learn about nature and nutritious food, such as when they plant and care for vegetables. They enjoy carefully peeling pea pods at snack time, and tasting the potatoes which they have grown.
• Parents are extremely positive about the service which the nursery provides. They comment that staff provide support for the whole family and they are delighted with the progress their children make. Staff keep parents well informed about their children's learning. For instance, parents are invited into nursery for stay-and-play sessions and can access a lending library to choose books to read with their children at home.
• Children develop a love of books. They sit in cosy areas or an outdoor tepee and listen to staff read animatedly. Staff encourage children to join in with familiar phrases and talk about the story. Children recall their favourite stories, such as 'Commotion in the Ocean', when playing in the water with sea animals.
• Children are keen to have a go at all activities and show perseverance in their play. They concentrate when rolling balls down guttering, explore and investigate in the mud kitchen and demonstrate good imagination in their play. For instance, children are extremely proud of their 'flower cupcakes' which they have made with soil, stones and petals.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• implement the plans in place to provide staff with professional development to support children's communication and language development even further
• plan whole-group activities, especially at times of transition, more carefully to engage younger children fully in their learning.