High View Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are happy and have warm relationships with staff. Older children come into nursery eager to tell staff what they have been doing at home. Younger children show they feel safe as they wave and clap when they are greeted warmly by familiar adults. Staff support children's independence well. For example, all children are encouraged to select their own activities and resources. Older children are encouraged to sit in small groups and serve themselves during mealtimes.

Children have fun using their imagination. They excitedly use the blocks to make a bridge for the cars and trucks. Staff ask questions such as, 'I wonder what will happen if you put more blocks in there?' This encourages children to solve problems and think creatively. Children love to sing and listen to music. Staff skilfully use resources to help children to make choices and take part during singing time. For example, they offer spoons with pictures on which represent different songs. Children choose a spoon and excitedly shout out the name of the song. Younger children are offered additional resources to hold, such as soft toys to help them concentrate. Staff provide opportunities for children to develop good communication and language skills. For example, staff reinforce and model new words when they talk about the 'crunchy' prawn crackers at lunchtime. They use mathematical language when children build tall towers and count out the blocks while doing so.

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

• Leaders observe staff practice, which helps to improve their performance. They conduct regular supervision meetings which focus on children's development, staff well-being and ongoing professional development. Staff say that they feel supported by the manager.
• Staff recognise the importance of supporting children's language and literacy skills. There are opportunities for children to sing songs and read stories throughout the nursery. Children show a great interest in books and listen attentively to familiar stories.
• Leadership is effective. The manager accesses external support from the local authority to evaluate the nursery. This leads to the creation of action plans, which includes enhancements to children's sensory experiences, to develop the nursery further.
• Children are polite and friendly. They learn to share, take turns and cooperate with each other. Staff act as good role models and remind children to be kind to their friends. For example, staff help children to negotiate whose turn it is to play with popular resources. Children understand the rules and wait patiently until it is their turn.
• Staff support children in recognising boundaries and how to keep themselves safe. For example, staff explain to children they have to be careful when they climb. They encourage children to assess the risks and negotiate how to climb down safely.
• Staff recognise the importance of linking learning between home and nursery. They talk about the library system they have introduced for parents. Children choose books to take home to read with their families. Parents welcome this new scheme and comment on how excited their children are to change their book.
• Children are confident and are encouraged to persevere when things are challenging. For example, babies try and pull themselves up and show determination to achieve their goal. They smile at staff, who cheer when they stand up tall.
• Children have opportunities to extend their mathematical skills throughout the nursery. Staff weave mathematical language into the day. For example, they talk about the size of structures in the block area. Children join in with number songs, such as 'One, two, three, four, five, once I caught a fish alive'. Children are familiar with these songs as they join in and clap and shout at the end of each song.
• Staff introduce opportunities for children to understand the world around them. For example, children in the pre-school room show an interest in caterpillars. Staff read storybooks to encourage conversations. Recently, staff have brought real caterpillars into the nursery to enable children to watch the changes that happen until they turn into butterflies.
• Staff know children well, overall. They use their knowledge of children's interests and development to plan a curriculum that extends children's learning. However, at times, staff focus more on the activity and what children might learn rather than the skills children need to learn next, to maximise their learning.
• For children who attend more than one setting, partnerships are not so well developed. Information is not routinely shared between staff to develop a more complementary approach to supporting children's learning.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• strengthen partnerships with other providers to support greater continuity and consistency in children's learning
• build on staff's understanding of the curriculum to sharpen their focus on the skills children need to learn, to maximise their learning.