Highgate Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Staff place a strong emphasis on supporting children's small-muscle development throughout the nursery. For example, babies use pencils and crayons to make marks on paper. They explore different textures, such as rice, foam and sand. Toddlers enjoy the sensory experience of dough as they squeeze, flatten and roll this material with their hands. They also use tools, such as dough cutters and rolling pins, to make different figures. Toddlers show their mathematical knowledge as they describe their shape as a rectangle.

Staff use words and actions consistently in all rooms to support children's early communication and language skills. They have a word of the week, such as 'soft' for babies, and use objects of reference to enhance this understanding.

All children, including those with special education needs and/or disabilities (SEND), show their positive attitude to learning through their enjoyment of play. Pre-school children demonstrate how they can listen intently to stories and respond accurately to questions asked of them. Staff cleverly encourage pre-school children to recall events from the book and to fill in missing words when they pause to read. They extend story time effectively. For example, pre-school children squeeze fresh oranges and mix other ingredients together to make potions. They use pipettes to transfer liquid and repeat words from the story, such as 'the truly magnificent broom'. Children develop the skills they will need for their move on to school.

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

• Staff offer a broad and varied curriculum for all children. Assessment is used well to identify any gaps in learning. However, during some focused activities for babies and toddlers, staff are less sure of learning intentions to build further on babies and toddlers' current good skills.
• The support for children with SEND is excellent. The team of special educational needs coordinators is highly knowledgeable and experienced. Children with SEND point to a letter in the book. They know they must make eye contact with staff before they will say the letter. Children with SEND smile as their intention is achieved and they move on to point to another letter. Leaders use funding very well to support children's individual learning needs.
• Staff form good working relationships with parents. They share information about healthy eating, safe sleeping and good bedtime routines. Staff support parents well with changes in their child's life. For example, they have recently introduced a 'dummy tree' to encourage children to leave their soother for the fairies to collect. The nursery holds a certification that recognises their commitment to promote children's health and safety in a holistic way.
• Leaders are reflective and passionate about their role. They show how they appreciate staff's commitment to their job through employee of the month and staff appreciation days. Leaders consider staff's well-being and organise termly yoga sessions. They ensure that staff have regular team meetings, supervisions and appraisals to monitor their practice. However, systems used for coaching practice are not directly targeted for some staff to support them to enhance their practice further.
• Children gain an understanding of people, families and communities beyond their own. They learn about different languages, such as Hindi. Staff talk with children about special events and festivals in their life that may be different to their friends. They invite parents to make voice recordings of their first language for all children to hear. Staff support children who speak English as an additional language well.
• Staff consider children's physical development very well. They take children to the local park where they can learn how to safely challenge their own play. Staff also invite outside companies to come and engage children in exciting exercise sessions. Pre-school children show how they can listen and follow instructions. For example, they kick their heels, wiggle their fingers and take giant steps.
• Children's voices are heard in the nursery. For example, babies use visual clues to decide if they would like to listen to a story or sing. Staff sing sings and rhymes that support children's early understanding of number. They hold up their fingers to show three currant buns as well as picture cards. Babies learn how numbers decrease in size when one is taken away. Staff also use songs to help babies learn about their body and senses. For instance, babies touch their nose for smell and tongue for taste.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• enhance the support for staff to understand how to engage babies and toddlers more during focused activities to build on what they need to learn next
• continue to monitor staff's practice to enhance the already good quality of education to consistently benefit children further.