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What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children come into this warm and friendly nursery excited and eager to start their day. They quickly find their friends and begin to start their play. Children's behaviour is good. They understand what is expected of them in the setting, following rules and boundaries. Older children are kind and considerate towards younger children, sharing objects and including them in their play. They use manners when they communicate, and staff role model this well.

Children enjoy exploring the outdoor area. They take it in turns to ride bicycles and scooters. Children are keen to scoop mud into small plant pots and enjoy exploring pumpkins in a tray. Staff help to develop children's understanding of growth and change as they talk about how pumpkins grow. Babies are confident using paintbrushes to paint with water. They smile as they welcome praise from an adult. Babies and children are settled and have strong attachments with the staff that care for them.

Children enjoy looking at books and having stories read to them. Children have 'reading nooks' around the room so that they can readily access books and share them with their familiar adult. Staff use sign language and visual aids to support children as they learn to speak.

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

• The curriculum is delivered well to ensure that all children make good progress. Children have access to a varied range of resources that cover the seven areas of learning. Mathematical development is supported very well in the setting. Staff embed mathematics with activities that encourage counting, number and shape recognition. For example, staff count children as they move from one room to the next. Children are encouraged to think about the sizes of objects as they line them up next to each other.
• The manager and curriculum lead are clear about what they want children to learn. This is reflected positively in staff's teaching. Babies look at books happily, and staff add language where appropriate to encourage speech. Toddlers make potions in a tray, adding glitter and ingredients. They can take turns, working together until they have achieved the desired outcome. Children who are preparing for school warm up their finger muscles for the day while participating in a 'dough disco' during a group time. This prepares them for early writing. However, sometimes, staff direct children to activities and do not encourage them to be independently curious in their environment. This means opportunities for the children to learn new skills are missed.
• Staff support children's physical development well. Children have various tools they use to support the development of muscles in their hands. For example, children use wooden hammers to put pins into corkboards, and babies explore loose parts and enjoy stacking objects. The children have access to a large outdoor space, including a local park, where they can move their bodies in a variety of ways.
• The manager has a good understanding of what the nursery does well and what it needs to do to improve. She observes and evaluates staff practice, which improves the quality of teaching. Children who receive additional funding are supported well. The nursery works together with a range of professionals and parents to ensure that all children make good progress.
• Transitions for children are seamless. Staff ensure that relevant information is shared to local schools and other settings so that children can be well supported. Transitions between age groups in the nursery work well as older children can free flow with younger children, and all children are familiar with the staff who work there.
• Parents speak positively about the setting. They feel that their children are happy and well cared for. They say, 'Staff are welcoming, friendly and caring.' The nursery provides regular updates and shares information with parents through their online app. Parents mention that they feel involved in their child's learning, and the nursery provides open days where parents are able to meet with their child's key person and share relevant information.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• provide sufficient time for children to be curious and express ideas at their own pace.