Hopscotch Day Nursery Fareham

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children thoroughly enjoy their time in this welcoming and inclusive environment. The nursery is a hive of activity, where children play, explore and investigate under close supervision of staff. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, children say goodbye to their parents at the front door. Staff warmly greet the children and engage them in conversation about their friends and the day ahead.

Children enjoy the range of activities available to them. Babies explore sensory experiences and staff teach them new words. Older children experiment with water as they predict which items will float or sink. They begin to develop the skills they need to start school. Toddlers and older children have free access to the outside areas, and staff make the most of the inclement weather. Toddlers spend time making 'magic puddles' as they mix powder paint in the puddles that form in the nursery garden. Staff are good role models for children and use praise to encourage positive behaviour. Children are well mannered and polite.

Children use a variety of resources which help to develop their small-muscle skills as they use tools for a purpose. For example, they use tweezers to 'rescue' different-sized pom-pom 'eggs' from green slime. They carefully count how many they have and ensure they match the quantity to the number they spin.

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

• Staff provide children with a wide variety of opportunities to develop their physical skills. Babies learn how to sit up and take steps confidently, as they move from crawling to standing. Toddlers test their climbing skills in the soft playroom, as they pull themselves onto raised platforms and jump into ball pits. Pre-school children practise running, riding small bikes and lifting blocks as they build themselves a 'shelter'. Staff recognise and value these opportunities to build on children's physical development, helping them be confident and coordinated in their movements.
• Partnerships with parents are strong. In addition to the daily verbal feedback that parents receive when they collect their children, they receive written feedback through the online system. This helps parents to know what their children's next steps are. Some parents also make contributions to their children's online assessments.
• Staff place a strong emphasis on communication and language development. They consistently respond to babies' babbles, helping them to learn the pattern of conversation. Older children use complex sentences, and staff sensitively help younger children with the correct pronunciation of words.
• The manager has strong values and a very clear vision for providing high-quality early education for all children. She recognises the many strengths of the provision and the areas for improvement. She understands that a balanced curriculum and good-quality teaching are the key to success.
• Staff know what their key children need to learn next and help children to build on what they can already do. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are very well supported. The manager works closely with parents and external professionals so that the children make good progress from their starting points.
• Children enjoy nutritious, home-made meals and snacks. Staff plan activities to encourage children to care for their teeth. Children enjoy opportunities to be independent. For example, older children serve themselves snack and pour their own drinks. Babies have time and space to practise feeding themselves, while toddlers have a go at putting on their coats and fastening their own zips.
• Staff provide children with good opportunities to celebrate what makes them unique and help children develop a strong sense of self. Children learn about themselves and others. However, staff do not always provide enough learning opportunities for children that promote diversity and reflect a range of cultural backgrounds to prepare them for life in modern Britain.
• Older children begin to recognise their names through daily routines. Babies enjoy looking at and identifying animal pictures. Toddlers join in songs and listen to favourite stories. However, although staff know that some children's next stages of learning are literacy skills, they do not use all occasions, as they arise, to challenge them. There are fewer opportunities for older children, who prefer to learn outdoors, to access resources to extend their use of books or to practise their writing skills in their play.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support children's awareness of the world further through learning experiences that focus on cultures, diversity and people beyond their immediate experience
• focus staff's awareness on improving planning of the outdoor area to help older children to extend and challenge their next steps of learning, particularly in literacy development.