Hook Village Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are excited to start their day at this welcoming and nurturing setting. They know the routines of the day well and begin by independently putting away their belongings and washing their hands. Children are motivated to learn and persist with activities that capture their attention. For example, they are excited to find some minibeasts and are keen to learn more. Children are supported by staff as they jointly refer to a relevant information book to improve their existing knowledge. Children make good progress from their starting points.

Children form affectionate bonds with staff, who are responsive to their needs. They approach staff for comfort and reassurance when needed. Children learn to respect others and understand their emotions. They respond well to the gentle reminders from staff to maintain their good behaviour. Older children ask those new to the setting to join in their play. This shows their kind and considerate natures.

Children's early literacy skills are developing well. Younger children delight in staff sharing books with them. Older children enjoy their individual quiet time and sit comfortably immersed in their favourite books. Children learn to recognise their names in print. All children are enthusiastic when singing their favourite songs and rhymes. They show well-developed memory skills as they sing several verses of the songs. This helps to prepare children for their next stage in education.

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

• The newly appointed leaders have an ambitious and clear vision. They are committed to continual improvement. The manager has made several improvements already, including better involvement with parents and listening to their feedback. Parents are invited into the setting to share books with children. This has proved highly successful.
• Leaders have extensive experience of supporting children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. They work in close partnership with external professionals for further support, and successfully address any gaps in children's learning and development, such as when children with limited speech use hand signals to aid communication.
• Leaders are passionate about developing children's knowledge of the local community. Children recently won an art competition by entering a hedgehog inspired mural. Leaders have further plans to work with parents and the local community to create a safe area for children to enjoy nature and plant vegetables. This helps children understand the importance of people supporting each other.
• Children are encouraged to adopt healthy lifestyles. They learn about the importance of good oral hygiene and practise the correct way to brush teeth. Children understand that when they wash their hands they become 'germ free'. Children are given many opportunities to enjoy fresh air and exercise. They show growing competency in manoeuvring around obstacles on their tricycles. This helps enhance children's understanding of good health and well-being.
• Staff place a strong emphasis on promoting good communication skills. Children hear key vocabulary and begin to use it correctly in different situations. For instance, they mimic staff and use positional words correctly, such as 'side, front and back', when playing with the toy dental kit. This helps to further enhance children's existing vocabulary.
• Staff know children well. They gather sufficient information from parents when their children start, including what children know and can do. This allows staff to plan activities based on the children's interests and abilities. Staff use their questioning skills with children to further their understanding. However, they do not consistently give them enough time to think clearly, formulate their ideas and respond. This does not fully support children to think critically.
• Leaders are aware of the importance of children learning about different cultures represented in modern Britain. However, this is not yet embedded effectively. Children's own diverse backgrounds, cultures, languages and special occasions are not fully shared. This does not allow children to consider or celebrate the similarities and differences between their own and other's experiences.
• Parents are highly complimentary of the care and education their children receive. They show their appreciation for the new manager and say she has been instrumental in improving communication between the setting and home. Parents comment on how hard the staff work at forming caring relationships with their children and getting them ready for their next stage in education.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• consider ways to further improve staff's questioning skills to allow children sufficient time to think and formulate their answers effectively
• provide opportunities for children to learn and share their own and other's experiences of different home cultures, languages and special occasions.