Hine Park Day Nursery Ltd

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Staff warmly welcome children as they enter the safe, secure nursery. Children settle quickly and independently choose an activity that interests them. Younger children are supported to develop their small-muscle skills as they explore oats. Staff help children to stir and mix oats with spoons in bowls. They consistently build on young children's language skills by repeating and adding new words during play.

Staff help to build children's imagination in the role-play area. They talk to children about their favourite fruit as they make 'dinner'. Children exclaim 'it's very hot' as they pretend to taste the food that they have made. Older children are encouraged to think about how they can make additional colours as they mix paint. They develop hand-eye coordination as they dip their brushes into paint pots and create marks on paper.

Children learn to play harmoniously with their friends. They are encouraged to take turns with running their cars down a track as they converse with their friends. Children gather around as enthusiastic staff read stories and sing songs. They recall what happens next in books and talk about the characters. Children sing songs with confidence and join in with the words and actions, using their bodies to create large movements.

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

• The leadership team demonstrates a commitment to continually improving the nursery. They create action plans to pinpoint what they need to develop, and are passionate about giving children the best start in life. There is currently a high number of new staff, who the leadership team is helping to develop their practice. All staff receive supervision and mentoring to help them to deliver high-quality provision.
• The leadership and staff team place emphasis on promoting good behaviour and work to ensure that children understand their expectations. Staff quickly intervene and gently remind children of the rules should they forget them. As a result, children listen well to instructions and understand the daily routines.
• Overall, staff deliver a programme of learning that is relevant and interesting to the children. Children's engagement levels are high as they explore the indoor activities. However, staff do not always carefully consider what they want children to learn outside. This means that staff do not make the best use of the outdoor resources, resulting in children not always benefiting from meaningful learning in the outdoor environment.
• Staff understand their role in meeting the emotional needs of the children in their care. Children are supported to settle quickly and form friendships with their peers. However, staff do not always provide quieter children with the attention they need to help them to join in activities. This results in some children not receiving frequent interaction, in order to help them to build on their knowledge and skills.
• Parents speak highly of the 'caring and supportive' staff team. They comment that they receive regular updates about their child's learning. Parents welcome staff's help and advice in regards to their child's development to implement support at home. Parents say that the nursery is 'educational, friendly and homely'.
• The leadership and staff team ensure that children gain an understanding of how to keep themselves healthy. Children benefit from nutritious meals and snacks, and staff implement training on the importance of providing a balanced diet. They talk to children about the healthy foods as they eat. Children learn about good oral hygiene. Staff chat to them about the benefits of this as children brush their teeth after eating.
• There are effective arrangements in place to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. The leadership team ensures that children receive swift support from outside agencies. Training opportunities are available to support staff to understand how to identify additional needs early, to ensure that children receive the best care.
• The leadership and staff team ensures that children's transitions to school are smooth. Teachers comment that they appreciate the opportunities to visit the children in the nursery before they transition to the next stage of their education.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• develop the outdoor planning and provision to support children's learning and development further
• strengthen staff's knowledge of how to support quieter children to help them to join in activities and get the most out of their learning.