Home Farm Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are happy and very settled in this home-from-home environment. They are greeted by familiar staff as they arrive, who welcome them with big smiles. Staff are kind and caring. There is an effective key-person system in place, which helps children to feel secure. Staff are motivated to support children's learning, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). For example, staff implement strategies that further support children's individual emotional development. Children make good progress from their starting points.

Overall, children engage well in their learning. Staff provide a language-rich environment, introducing new words and sharing knowledge on children's topic of conversation. Children enjoy listening to stories and singing songs. Babies lift the flap in the book and are excited when staff reveal what is under it. Toddlers raise their hands in the air and wiggle their fingers while singing 'twinkle twinkle little star'.

Children explore the environment and independently access varied and well-planned activities. They play cooperatively and can be heard laughing and telling their friends about their favourite dinosaur. Children flourish in the stimulating outdoor area that offers wide-ranging opportunities. For example, they dress up in hard hats and use large diggers to scoop the gravel into the buckets. Children kick and throw balls while skilfully manoeuvring safely around their friends.

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

• The manager is clear about what she wants children to learn. She is driven to raise communication and language skills and has raised staff's knowledge by delivering her own in-house training. Staff share the manager's passion and provide an array of opportunities to increase language for all children, from the youngest child to those getting ready to transition to school. However, staff's professional development does not always focus on their individual training needs.
• The manager attends numerous events to stay up to date, and uses information learned to advance practice in the setting. For example, additional resources have been introduced to support children and their families through bereavement, the birth of a new baby and separation, should they need it.
• The manager works positively with outside agencies to ensure children with SEND receive individualised support at the earliest opportunity. Staff ensure that children with SEND access the same opportunities as other children. The curriculum is tailored towards their needs and to suit their learning styles. Staff implement strategies and target plans. For example, staff use choice boards if a child feels overwhelmed. Staff use this strategy to allow the child time and space to regulate what they are feeling and make their own decisions.
• Staff know the children well and provide a range of learning opportunities, covering all areas of learning. For example, children enjoy a 'tea party' as they fill a teapot with water and fresh fruit segments. They use hand-eye coordination to skilfully pour the water into small cups, and delight at emptying the cups to start the process again. Staff are skilled at extending children's learning and introduce concepts, such as colour, weight and counting.
• Children benefit from a language-rich environment. Staff promote communication and language through play. They enhance older children's experiences by introducing new words and asking open-ended questions. Younger children benefit from staff narrating what children are doing. Children access reading books independently and staff encourage them to sing songs when the children are all together.
• Staff are good role models and have high expectations for children's behaviour. Staff praise children for their achievements, no matter how small. Children are valued and experience a sense of achievement, which develops their self-esteem. Children's behaviour is consistently good. Occasionally, staff do not encourage older children to be independent and to manage tasks for themselves in readiness for school. For example, staff do not challenge children as much as they could when dressing and undressing for outdoor play.
• Parents speak highly of the manager and the care their children receive from staff. They talk positively about how their children have settled and how happy they are. They comment on how friendly and caring the staff are and that they appreciate the daily feedback from their child's key person. Parents appreciate regular communication, which includes parents evening, online newsletters and events. Parents receive monthly updates about their child's development, and ideas how they can also build on learning at home.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• provide targeted professional development opportunities for staff that fully reflect individual training needs
• provide older children with more opportunity to be independent and complete tasks for themselves.