Hocus Pocus Day Nursery Ltd

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Staff form positive relationships with children. They provide a nurturing environment where children feel confident to express themselves. Children settle quickly and are happy to attend. Parents describe the nursery as a 'caring and warm environment'. All children feel safe and secure.

Staff provide a range of experiences that teach children about the world around them. For example, babies learn about different textures as they explore the contents of the outdoor mud kitchen. Children learn how to care for living things as they feed the classroom caterpillars and watch them transform into butterflies. They excitedly tell their friends that the caterpillars are currently in a cocoon. Pre-school children also enjoy looking after their classroom pet snail. All children engage in a variety of experiences, which helps them to develop a positive attitude to learning.

Staff have clear and consistent expectations of children. This helps children to regulate their behaviour effectively. For example, children know to listen at group times and quickly remind their friends when they are not following the rules. Staff take a positive approach to supporting children's behaviour through regular praise. Children respond to this praise and behave very well.

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

• The special educational needs coordinator (SENCo) and her assistant are passionate about giving children the best start. Tailored programmes are developed to help children get the support they require. For example, the SENCo works closely with parents and other professionals to plan bespoke targets for children. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) make optimum progress from their starting points.
• The manager and staff create a positive culture of respect for others. They model how to be kind by openly praising each other and the children. As a result, children show care for others. For example, children praise each other on the pictures they have painted.
• Staff implement an effective key-person system. They know the children well and use their knowledge of the children to help them progress in their development. Staff form strong and loving relationships with the children. Older babies run excitedly into their key-person's arms for a cuddle. Children are secure in the nurturing environment the staff have created for them.
• Parents speak highly of the warm and friendly staff. They are provided with a variety of opportunities to attend the setting, such as stay-and-play sessions and parents' evenings. Staff use a range of methods to ensure that they communicate effectively with parents about their children's care and education.
• For example, they send messages to parents via their online system. This helps to keep parents updated on their children's care and education.
• The manager has devised a curriculum that builds on what children already know and can do. Overall, staff implement the intended curriculum well. However, staff are not always consistent in the quality of their interactions with children when supporting their communication and language development. For example, occasionally when interacting with children, staff ask children a lot of questions in quick succession, which at times distracts them from their learning.
• The manager provides professional development opportunities to develop staff's knowledge and skills. However, this does not fully support staff's consistency in implementing clear learning intentions through experiences they plan for children. For example, during Eid, staff plan activities without always considering the age and learning needs of the children. As a result, the intended learning does not meet the needs of some children.
• The manager carefully considers how to use additional funding, such as early years pupil premium. She works closely with the children's key persons and parents to consider how funding could be used to help close any gaps in children's development. For example, the manager has used funding to provide additional sessions for children. She has also purchased resources which support children's individual needs. All children receive the support they need to make progress.
• Staff promote children's health and safety. They implement consistent routines, which helps to promote children's health. For example, children develop an awareness of self-care skills as they brush their teeth after mealtimes. Children demonstrate they have a good understanding of how to keep themselves safe. Older children carefully walk down the stairs and babies know to reach out for an adult's hand as they climb the stairs. Children are learning to take responsibility for their own safety.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• strengthen the curriculum for communication and language so that staff have a clear vision of how to implement the it effectively
• strengthen professional development opportunities for staff, to help them focus more precisely on learning intentions.