House of Commons Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are very happy and settled, they feel safe and secure. They build strong, positive relationships with staff and display high levels of confidence. Children benefit from an extremely well planned curriculum. Staff's knowledge of the children's development is exceptional. They provide fantastic opportunities that enrich the children's learning experience. Babies explore stimulating sensory water play and edible sand. Resources are well placed at different levels to develop curiosity and physical skills. Staff's interaction with children is highly effective and their curriculum intent is very secure.

Older children enjoy interactive storytelling. They are highly motivated and drawn in by enthusiastic staff. Staff consistently promote language. They make excellent use of sign language to support younger children, children with English as an additional language and children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). This makes the children very effective communicators. Staff are extremely committed to ensuring children's voices are heard. For example, they involve them in planning activities and creating the lunch menu. Older children support younger children with their choices. This helps them to develop respect for others. Children enjoy exploring the local area daily. They understand the rules and behaviour expectations that staff keenly promote.

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

• Leaders and managers are inspirational. They have a clear and ambitious vision, which successfully drives excellent practice throughout the nursery. Staff are highly motivated and have an exceptional knowledge of the curriculum. They embrace their own learning and use their superb knowledge and expertise of early education to maintain high standards of teaching.
• Staff know the children extremely well. Planning and assessment of children's learning is exceptional and is carefully monitored. Furthermore, the high-quality curriculum provides children with rich, stimulating learning experiences. This ensures that every child succeeds. Children with SEND achieve the best possible outcomes, as staff act swiftly to support them. Staff ensure there are numerous opportunities for children's continual language development. This secures a solid foundation for future learning.
• Staff are excellent at promoting children's independence. Weaning babies hold a spoon and this coherently supports their future skills. Younger children put on bibs, while older children set tables for lunch. Pre-school children and toddlers serve their own lunch, while staff discuss with them the benefits of eating vegetables. This helps develop the children's character and prepares them for their next stage in learning.
• Partnership with parents is exemplary. This secures the link between home and nursery. Staff are keen to collect words in the home language for children with English as an additional language. They use these effectively. Parents speak highly of staff and the daily communication. Termly parent's meetings provide an opportunity to share children's achievements. Parents really appreciate stay and play sessions to become involved in their children's learning.
• Staff actively encourage children to make healthy choices. They allow time for rest after exercise. Staff supervise handwashing to ensure hygiene is effective. They encourage children to cover their coughs and sneezes and support younger children to wipe their noses.
• Staff are keen for children to be involved at every level. They join staff at planning meetings, allowing them to lead their learning. They use computers to research answers to questions. Staff are keen for children to share their views. They take account of their opinions. Staff promote well-thought-out opportunities for older children to support younger children. For example, older children support babies in making choices when voting for lunch.
• Staff follow stringent risk assessments. They make rules fun to follow. For example, on the way to the park, children call for the green man to wake up, so they can cross the road. They understand the behaviour expectations and repeat the rules when they arrive at the park. Children run around hunting for dinosaurs in sight and sound of staff.