High Hopes Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children arrive at this setting happy and ready to start their day. Older children run up to the nursery door full of enthusiasm. Staff greet children by name and ask parents how their child has been since they last attended. Children are encouraged to say goodbye to their parents and soon settle into their day. They form warm and trusting relationships with staff and enjoy playing with, and alongside, their friends.

Leaders and staff have constructed a broad curriculum designed to promote children's progress from their starting points. However, leaders have not ensured this is consistently implemented. Staff identify children's next steps in learning and take time to offer activities to promote their individual interests. For example, they provide songs and activities linked to space when children show an interest in this. They ensure messy play is always available to support children who enjoy being creative. However, interactions between staff and children are variable and staff do not focus enough on what it is that children need to learn next. This is particularly so for children who struggle with their speech and language development, which leads to weaker progress for these children.

Children show good physical development. Babies, supported by staff, learn to crawl and cruise safely around well-placed furniture and equipment. Toddlers and preschool children love to be outdoors. They learn how to climb steps up to the slide and across wooden beams, closely supported by staff. Children show good coordination as they manoeuvre wheeled toys in and around their play spaces.

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

• While leaders and staff have an ambitious vision for children's learning this is not implemented consistently. Children's experiences and progress vary throughout the nursery. Staff caring for toddlers and preschool children are not consistently supporting every child to make appropriate progress, particularly in their communication and language. When they play with children, they do not enrich children's language or provide them with new words or explanations as they play alongside them. This does not consistently engage them or build on what they know and can do.
• Staff ensure children have many opportunities to be creative and explore their imagination as they play. Children enjoy making pretend drinks and food in the role play areas and sharing these with staff. They use pencils, chalks and paints in a variety of ways. However, during adult-led activities, staff do not always allow children to use their own ideas and are quick to take over and do things for children. This can hinder children's creativity and leads to children wandering from activities sometimes.
• Staff are effective in communicating with parents. Parents speak about how settled their children are and of how staff keep them informed of their children's learning, as well as sharing ideas with them, on how to support this at home. For example, staff offer advice on how to help with toilet training and ensuring that consistent messages are used regarding sharing and turn taking. Leaders organise parent events, such as stay-and-play sessions and invite doctors and dentists into the setting to help to build a community and try to create a good sense of belonging for the children and families that attend.
• Staff speak well of the support offered through the leadership of the setting. They are given time to complete observations and assessments for key children and comment that their well-being is well supported. All staff have regular supervision sessions and access to online training to support them in their roles. However, leaders do not accurately identify all learning needs that staff may have, which leads to weaknesses, such as the inconsistent implementation of the curriculum.
• Staff promote healthy lifestyles to children. The setting provides a vegetarian diet for all children and leaders work closely with outside agencies to be sure the menu is varied and nutritious. Children enjoy healthy snacks throughout the day, such as fruit, toast and crudites. Most staff eat with the children and discuss what they are eating and impact this has on their good health.
• Children benefit from the caring relationships they establish with their familiar adults. For example, when new starters are unsettled, staff cuddle and reassure them, helping babies to re-join their friends and engage in their play. When older children become upset, staff reassure them and offer kind words to help them feel safe and secure.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider must:

• improve the quality of staff interactions with children to support their all round development, particularly their communication and language skills (by 27 October 2025)
• ensure staff implement the curriculum effectively to address the individual learning needs of all children, including children who have speech and language delay. (by 27 October 2025)

The provider should:

• review the organisation of adult-led activities to ensure that all children can participate fully and share their ideas.