Hopscotch

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are very happy throughout their time in the friendly and well-run nursery. They make good progress overall from their personal starting points and are well prepared for the next stage in their learning, including starting school. Children become keen and inquisitive learners. For example, they enjoy searching for bugs and worms in the exciting muddy garden, identifying them on their charts and listening to well-chosen books about them.

Children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), learn to feel safe and confident in the care of the experienced staff. Babies are helped to settle smoothly into nursery life and make a strong start to their development. Staff work closely with parents to build routines firmly based on babies' and children's experiences and interests. Children learn to build friendships and to trust others as they play together. For example, they work well together to use natural objects to create an imaginative indoor garden based on their earlier learning about flowers and plant growth.

Children behave very well. They are fully occupied and learn to play and work both cooperatively and independently. They rise to staff's high expectations. For example, they learn to contribute to a safe and clean environment by helping to tidy as soon as they complete an activity.

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

• Staff plan an effective curriculum that supports children's progress well, overall. They help to build systematically on the skills and knowledge children need for their future learning. For example, children regularly sing songs and play games that help them develop their knowledge of the weather, the seasons and the names and habitats of animals. However, staff do not consistently support children to fully deepen and embed new experiences and learning, to support their good progress further.
• The experienced and enthusiastic manager provides sustained, purposeful and focused leadership. She is very well supported by her deputy manager and leads a committed and caring staff team. There is a strong focus on helping staff develop their skills through training, for instance on children's communication skills and curriculum development, and effective support and monitoring.
• Staff strongly support children with SEND. They identify gaps in children's learning and development at an early stage. Staff work closely with other professionals, such as speech therapists, and children's parents to plan future learning. They make good use of additional funding, for example to extend staff training on using sign language to support children's speaking skills.
• Staff introduce children to new words as they play, listen to songs and engage in creative activities. For example, staff help children to name the different sea creatures in their undersea sensory play. Staff work closely with parents to help babies listen to and join in songs and rhymes that introduce them to new language skills and vocabulary.
• Staff positively promote children's love of reading. Staff share well-chosen books with children throughout their sessions that are well matched to their interests and stage of development. Babies love to look at 'lift-the-flap' books together. Staff read stories well to build children's anticipation and engagement. They provide opportunities for children to borrow books and share their enjoyment with their parents.
• Staff help children to develop their physical control and body management. Children are encouraged to make large shapes and patterns in their water wall painting, for example, and to use thick and fine paintbrushes and pens in their rainbow pictures. These skills are planned to support their early letter recognition and writing development. Babies are encouraged to build their core body strength as they pull themselves up on the soft furniture and climbing equipment.
• Staff promote children's good behaviour and personal development very well. Staff are excellent role models. They encourage children to play and work together in a calm, friendly and good-humoured environment. They use praise well, for example, to build children's self esteem and social relationships.
• Parents are proud to send their children to the nursery. They appreciate the care staff take and the progress their children make. They particularly comment on the staff's warm and sensitive attitude towards their children from the moment they start. They welcome the very good range of useful information on their children's achievements.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• focus staff's professional development on supporting children to further deepen and recall their new learning and experiences.