Hindsford Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children receive a warm welcome on arrival from the long-standing, kind and nurturing staff, who know them well. They are happy and settle well. Children form strong and caring bonds with their key persons. Babies who are settling in get plenty of cuddles and individual care, which helps them to become confident within the nursery environment. Good arrangements are in place to support children who are learning English as an additional language. Staff find out about children's home language vocabulary to support young children's language development. Staff kept in contact with families during the COVID-19 pandemic. This supported children's continued learning and emotional well-being.

Children behave well and develop a positive attitude to learning. Staff use high-quality interactions and questioning that support children to develop their communication skills. They encourage conversations about what children create while using dough. Children relish playing with the play dough. They develop their imagination as they pretend to make cakes. Children roll the dough using their small-muscle skills. They use tools such as rolling pins with control. Children tell staff that they make cakes at home. Children excitedly go outside at different times of the day. Staff take children out weekly to visit places in the local community. Children identify how to keep themselves safe when out and about.

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

• Children benefit from a wide range of activities and a broad curriculum which follows children's interests and, on the whole, builds on what they already know and can do. Staff observe children to make sure they are achieving the individual targets set for them and set new targets for children regularly. However, some staff do not know what skills or knowledge they want the children to gain from the activities they plan for them. This means that, occasionally, the teaching does not build on what children know and can do.
• Staff understand the needs of individual children and have created a warm and inclusive setting where all children are welcomed and celebrated. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities receive excellent support. The special educational needs and disability coordinator quickly identifies gaps in children's learning and implements strategies swiftly to support individual needs. They access external services, such as speech and language support and other health professionals, to initiate targeted support. This helps to narrow any gaps in children's development.
• Staff focus on children's emotional development. Staff have completed specific training to support children. Children identify how they are feeling when they arrive in the morning. They talk about what has happened during the day if their feelings change. This helps children to become aware of their own feelings and how others around them feel. Children are very well behaved and play alongside each other well. Staff are good role models and praise children for their good manners as they play in the water and take turns. This helps children to develop respect, understanding and tolerance for each other.
• Leaders work with the staff team to create an environment that celebrates similarities and differences. Staff read stories to children about making friends and what makes everyone unique. Children think about differences in appearance and learn that they can be friends with everyone. In addition, pre-school children go weekly on a minibus to take part in swimming lessons. They visit a nearby farm and plant and grow in an allotment they are carefully building to be for the community. This helps children develop their physical skills and learn about the world around them.
• Children enjoy stories in the garden. In addition, there are some exciting story sacks and puppets available to encourage interaction during group story time indoors. However, practitioners have not considered how they can inspire children's interest further to encourage them to take full advantage of the books on offer.
• Parents are happy with how quickly their children have settled into this home-from-home setting. They state that they feel well informed about their children's learning and development through regular information on an online app and verbal feedback.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• build upon staff's understanding of the curriculum intent and how this is delivered to ensure children are given enough time to embed their learning and next steps consistently
• enhance the use of stories and books throughout the setting, to support children's love of books and reading.