Hopscotch Hove Station

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are incredibly happy and safe, and they radiate confidence during their time at nursery. They demonstrate extremely high levels of self-esteem as they show delight in their achievements. For example, young children excitedly share their work with staff. They celebrate their successes with warm hugs and meaningful praise. Their creations are beautifully displayed throughout the environment. This encourages children to gain a sense of pride and belonging. The nursery's clear ethos builds a secure foundation where children feel safe and flourish in all areas of their development.

Children develop excellent independence skills while understanding how to keep their bodies healthy. For example, young children sing 'this is the way we wash ourselves', as they bath dolls. They name body parts and learn new vocabulary, such as 'lather' and 'rinse'. They strengthen their hand muscles as they squeeze sponges, and use pipettes and toothbrushes. They learn new techniques, such as hair washing, practising new skills and care practices.

Children's behaviour is exceptional. They display excellent attitudes to learning, as they concentrate intently on tasks that challenge their thinking. For instance, older children explore patterns and make colour sequences with cubes. They compare their cube towers and decide which is 'taller' and 'shorter'. Children focus attentively when building complex structures out of blocks in the garden. They respond to setbacks with determination as the wind makes building challenging. However, they continuously persevere, often with success. Children become confident learners, as a result.

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

• The manager and deputy are incredibly passionate about providing the highest-quality care and education. Together, they have created a meaningful and rich curriculum, which expertly supports every child to be the best they can be. The learning intent for each age group has been meticulously planned to reflect the sequence in which children learn. Staff place great importance on children developing exceptionally secured learning. This creates a sound foundation for future learning. All children, including those with special educational needs and/ or disabilities, are making excellent progress from their starting points.
• Children have outstanding opportunities to develop their physical skills. For example, staff use children's interest to engage them in movement as they recite 'We're Going on a Bear Hunt'. Children use their imaginations as they move their bodies to replicate 'swishy swashy grass'. They make slow stomping movements as they wade through pretend mud. Babies have an abundance of opportunities to develop their large-muscle skills as they practise climbing steps safely. Older children enhance their coordination as they kick balls to each other with precision. The physical activities on offer mean children are extremely well prepared for future learning.
• The dedicated manager supports her team by providing highly effective supervision. She has an accurate understanding of their strengths and what they need to develop further. She uses this information to provide professional development in priority areas. For example, staff have gained extensive knowledge of safeguarding matters to ensure children's safety is of the highest standard. The manager and her team work in close partnership with parents and professionals. This supports children to fulfil their full potential. Parents speak very highly of the care and education their children receive during their time at the nursery.
• Children develop excellent literacy skills through their passion for books. They show great joy and excitement as they share books from home with their friends. They sit for extended periods of time, enthralled in stories that are fully interactive. Tremendously skilled staff develop children's interest and understanding. They set the scene and encourage older children to predict what the story is about from the cover. Staff explain new words children may not be familiar with, for instance 'burglar'. They then provide children with additional vocabulary to consolidate meaning, such as 'thief' and 'robber'. Younger children enjoy snuggling up with staff and sharing books, pointing out pictures of interest. Children develop a love of language and extensive vocabulary as a result.
• All children form deep and meaningful relationships with staff and their peers. Even the youngest children show excellent emotional stability. For example, babies feel safe as they explore their environment and respond with curiosity to inspectors. They smile and interact while occasionally seeking reassurance from familiar adults. Staff are incredibly nurturing, warm and responsive. This enables new children and babies to form positive attachments and settle quickly.
• Staff are inspirational role models who inspire and motivate children to be the best they can be. They create a culture of mutual respect, celebrating children's uniqueness. Children learn about equality and diversity through subtle messages, which challenge and breakdown early stereotypical norms. Children learn about each other's culture and greet each other in a range of languages. The inclusive practice enhances children's understanding of the wider world and provides them with limitless possibilities of who they can be.