Highmoor Nursery School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children play, explore and learn with enthusiasm in this inviting setting. They engage well in activities led by members of staff, and they direct their own play from a wide array of exciting activities on offer. Children form trusted and affectionate bonds with the manager and staff, who genuinely want them to reach their full potential. Children follow the staff's lead and show compassion towards each other. For example, older children readily welcome the younger ones into their play. Children feel safe and comfortable in this nurturing environment.

Children's language skills are developing well. They eagerly engage in two-way conversations with staff and make good connections in their learning. For example, they proudly talk about a tractor with big and small tyres, which links to real-life experiences. Children demonstrate a wide vocabulary, such as when they correctly name a combine harvester.

The setting offers a wealth of opportunities that enrich children's experiences. For example, there are walks to the woods and yoga sessions led by a qualified instructor. This allows for children who may have limited experiences to become fully immersed in learning new things. Children also develop their critical-thinking skills as they solve problems, such as when their wellington boots get stuck in mud on their way to the woods. Children are prepared well for their next stage in education.

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

• The manager is a capable and knowledgeable leader. She evaluates the quality of education and care children receive on a regular basis. Consequently, the manager is aware of the strengths and priorities to improve even more. She has high expectations and maintains open and honest communication with staff, children and families. Staff well-being is given the highest priority, which is demonstrated by their supervision meetings. They say they are supported well to enhance their professional development and feel highly valued. This leads to high staff morale and a committed team.
• The manager and staff focus effectively on developing children's self-care skills right from the start. For instance, children are guided sensitively by staff to independently put on their own outdoor clothing ready for their walk. They are praised by staff for persevering with tasks that may be tricky, such as placing the correct finger into gloves.
• Staff place a special emphasis on supporting children's emotional well-being. This has become an even higher priority, particularly since the COVID-19 pandemic. Children are encouraged to recognise and discuss how their emotions may change throughout the day. They use 'Colour Monster' characters to name different emotions. For example, children show their imaginative abilities as they mix 'grumpy' and 'angry' together to become 'grampy'. This demonstrates their increased understanding of these emotions.
• Children experience good-quality outdoor opportunities, which helps to solidify children's learning through real-life experiences. Their observational skills are promoted to help them take note of specific details and enhance their natural curiosity further. For instance, children notice different prints in the mud on their walk. They recognise tractor tyre prints and footprints of people, deer and dogs. Children are given clues to help them distinguish between each one, such as to pay closer attention to the size and shape of the prints. In addition, children's confidence to try new things is growing, such as when they splash in a shallow stream in their wellington boots. In this way, children learn to become more resilient.
• The manager and staff regularly assess children's learning and development. They use this information to plan focused, adult-led groups to support their progress. However, on occasion, the same children often call out their responses to questions posed by staff, and quieter children sometimes get overlooked. This prevents the quieter ones from developing the confidence to share their views.
• Parents highly value the education and care their children receive at the setting. They commend the dedication of all staff in promoting children's learning. Parents are impressed with the innovative curriculum on offer, such as when children cook with an external professional. Parents are kept informed of their children's progress on a regular basis and in a variety of ways. They play an active role in supporting their children's learning. For example, they collect items with their children that start with a particular phonic sound to share at group times.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support staff to identify quieter children and include them more in group discussions and activities to build their confidence to share their views.