Henshaw Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The manager is passionate and dedicated to providing the very best for children, their families and staff. She supports staff to plan a curriculum which helps children to thrive and make the best possible progress. Parents comment that their children skip into nursery, looking forward to their day in nursery. Staff provide a focus on children learning outdoors and in a home-from-home environment. They think very carefully when they plan the curriculum and environment. For instance, staff use low-level lamps and provide cosy areas to encourage children to learn in a calm environment. Children are engaged in very purposeful learning and have vivid imaginations. They pretend to be in space and use resources to make telescopes.

Children have an abundance of opportunities to continually explore during activities. For instance, younger children excitedly investigate coloured foam. Staff talk about how it feels and smells, and encourage children to make predictions. They encourage children to have their own ideas and solve problems at every opportunity. For example, staff support children to work out how to move a large water butt and pour water from it. Children gain an excellent knowledge of the world around them. For instance, staff teach children to notice the feature of plants, observe sheep in the nearby field and help to care for chickens.

Children's behaviour is excellent. Staff help children to learn about how they are feeling through stories, puppets and discussions. If any minor disagreements occur between children, staff very sensitively encourage children to think about how they can resolve the problem and how their friends are feeling. Children willingly help each other. Staff put children's safety at the centre of their practice. They teach children how to keep themselves safe, such as the rules they must follow around the fire pit and pond when in the forest school area.

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

• Staff have an in-depth knowledge of children's development, interests and what they need to learn next. They are very aware of the sequence in which children need to learn skills. For instance, at snack time, staff encourage toddlers to drink from open cups. Older children pour their milk or water from small jugs very carefully in glasses. They skilfully practise cutting their bananas and apples.
• The support for children's communication is exceptional. All staff receive training to extend children's language development further. They think carefully about the vocabulary they want to teach children and introduce this naturally as children play. Staff use open-ended questions to encourage children to think and expand on their responses. Children are extremely confident communicators.
• Children have excellent opportunities to develop their early literacy skills. Younger children make marks in mud, paint and foam with sticks, brushes and vehicles. Older children carefully create meaningful drawings using paint on an easel. Staff carefully choose books and display them around the environment to encourage children to develop a love of books. They think about the core books and rhymes they want each age range of children to access. Children are often heard recalling their favourite stories as they play.
• Staff very carefully plan the resources on offer to help children to gain a deep understanding about themselves and others. Staff encourage children to take a bear home and bring it back to share their experiences. For instance, children proudly and confidently share photos of their experiences of living on a farm. Children listen to each other with interest. Staff arrange for visitors, such as firefighters, to come into nursery to talk to children about how they help them.
• Staff plan activities that challenge children to develop their physical skills. Younger children confidently balance on wooden stepping stones and carefully negotiate slopes. Older children use climbing equipment and take part in yoga and movement sessions. They learn about the importance of exercise.
• Parents are extremely positive about their children's experiences in the nursery. Staff share a wealth of information with parents about their children's development. They invite parents into nursery to share their children's learning in many ways, such as for stay-and-play sessions, on annual outings to the coast, to read to children and to taste crumble their children make from the apples they pick from the trees. Staff encourage children to access the nursery's library to take books home to read with their parents.
• The manager plans an abundance of training for staff and thinks very carefully about what will have the most impact on children. She encourages staff to further their qualifications and gives them time during the nursery day to complete their studies. The manager provides in-depth support to all staff to help them to maintain their outstanding practice.
• Staff form very effective partnerships with other professionals to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. They use additional funding to provide extra support to help children to catch up very quickly.
• The manager works very closely with the on-site school. Staff provide exceptional support to help to prepare children for school, such as by familiarising themselves with the school environment. For example, older children eat lunch with Reception-age children each day in the school hall.
• Staff comment that they receive excellent levels of support and guidance from the manager. They all feel valued and are extremely happy working in the nursery. The manager offers staff gestures, such as choosing self-care items from an 'incentive box' and offering bonuses for completing additional training, to show her appreciation for staff's hard work and dedication.