Hoole Bank Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Staff greet children and their parents with a warm welcome. Children are confident individuals, who are eager to explore the exciting learning environment that staff have planned for them. For example, babies use their senses as they explore the inviting baby garden. Toddlers play with the toy sea animals in the water tray, and pre-school children develop their creativity as they make a pretend cake.

Leaders plan an ambitious curriculum that is based on children's needs and interests and builds on what they know and can do. They place a high priority on supporting children's and staff's emotional well-being. Children start their day with the welcome song, and they are supported to talk about how they are feeling. Throughout the day, staff continue to develop children's understanding of feelings and emotions. This helps children to talk about when they are feeling tired or hungry. Children's achievements are recognised and celebrated through continuous praise, encouragement and reward systems, such as 'star of the week'. All children and staff demonstrate that they feel valued, motivated and well supported. This creates a nurturing and positive atmosphere for children.

Staff set clear expectations for behaviour as they model how to treat others with respect. Consequently, children are kind to each other and say 'please' and 'thank you'. When minor conflicts arise, staff sensitively support children to resolve the issues. This helps children to share, take turns and play cooperatively.

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

• Leaders have a clear vision for the setting. They know and understand the importance of supporting staff in their professional development. Staff are actively encouraged to reach their developmental goals and gain new knowledge and qualifications. This helps to support children's progress and development.
• The curriculum for supporting children's communication and language is a real strength at this setting. Staff expertly weave core stories, nursery rhymes and songs throughout the day. Babies babble and make sounds in response to staff's interactions with them. Children bring in their favourite storybooks from home, which staff read with enthusiasm. Furthermore, when children show new interests, such as the Olympics, staff engage children in deep discussions and conversations to extend their knowledge and vocabulary. Consequently, children use a wide range of vocabulary and become confident communicators.
• The excellent key-person system and accurate use of assessment mean that gaps in children's learning are identified early and acted on quickly. Staff have secure knowledge of children's needs and what makes them unique. This enables all children, particularly children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and those in receipt of additional funding, to make good progress. All children are well prepared for their next steps in learning.
• Staff support babies and toddlers to develop early mathematical concepts. For example, they sing number rhymes and introduce them to colours and shapes. However, the curriculum for mathematics is not as strong in the pre-school room. Consequently, children do not receive high-quality learning experiences to extend further their mathematical skills in readiness for school.
• Children's personal development is well supported. Children enjoy home-cooked healthy meals and snacks. Staff support children to develop their independence. For example, children know they need to wash their hands when they come in from outside and help to tidy up ready for lunch. Babies are supported to feed themselves, and older children skilfully self-serve their own food and scrape their plates. Children are self-assured and are rapidly developing their skills that underpin their future learning.
• Partnerships with parents and carers are strong. Staff provide parents with a wide range of advice and guidance to support them in their children's care and learning. For example, staff work with parents when toilet training their children. Additionally, home activities provided by the setting have helped to improve children's speech and language development. Parents attend stay-and-play sessions at the setting, which helps them to build strong connections with the staff team. This also provides continuity for children when they start at the setting.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• develop further the curriculum to improve pre-school children's knowledge of mathematical concepts.