Hove Village Nursery at Hove Library

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are happy and motivated to learn in this nurturing and stimulating nursery. Leaders and staff work together to successfully plan and implement an ambitious curriculum that provides children with varied opportunities. Staff carefully plan a range of purposeful activities and play experiences that support children's individual learning. They know children well and ensure that children's curiosities are fully incorporated into their day. This supports children to sustain interest in their play and investigations. For example, older children immerse themselves in science experiments. They use pipettes to release droplets of coloured vinegar into bicarbonate of soda. They create and observe the reaction and learn about volcanoes. Staff skilfully revisit previous learned information through discussions with children. For instance, children recall a past topic on the solar system. They know they live on planet Earth, and that Mars has many volcanoes on it and so people cannot live there. These opportunities enable children to continually build on what they already know, remember and can do.

Staff understand the importance of supporting children's emotional well-being. They carefully build secure attachments with children. In turn, children are confident to seek out staff for play, reassurance and support to problem-solve. Staff recognise each child's unique personality and the additional support some children need. They are responsive to all children's needs and wants. This helps children to feel safe and valued, and contributes to their growing independence and self-confidence.

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

• Staff provide a broad and well-balanced curriculum that covers all seven areas of learning. They precisely plan appropriate next steps for children, with just the right amount of challenge. They support children to be resilient as they problem-solve and to keep trying when some tasks are difficult. This enables children, including children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, to continually strengthen their knowledge and skills. This prepares them for future learning.
• Communication and language are a fundamental basis for the curriculum. Staff use exaggerated facial expressions alongside simple, repetitive words to help the youngest babies develop their early communication skills. Staff broaden older children's vocabulary as they expose them to new words, such as 'transparent' and 'opaque'. They explain their meanings and how to use them in context, helping children to make connections in their learning. This supports all children to become confident communicators.
• Across the nursery, staff promote the love of books very well. Children of all ages independently choose from a variety of accessible books. Staff readily join them to read the stories they have chosen. Staff bring stories to life as they read with gusto. They capture children's attention and encourage them to join in with familiar phrases and story props. In addition, children have opportunities to take regular trips to the public library, further instilling an early love for literacy.
• Recent changes in leadership have been well communicated to staff and parents, and a smooth transition has taken place. Leaders place a strong emphasis on staff's well-being and ongoing professional development. However, leaders have not fully identified that some less-experienced staff need additional support to increase their knowledge and improve their everyday practice. Consequently, there are some minor inconsistencies in the quality of their interactions with children. Despite this, generally, the level of interactions children receive is of high quality.
• Staff plan many opportunities to help promote children's independence and self-help skills. For example, staff encourage children to put their own coats and wellies on to go into the garden and help children to hold cutlery correctly. As a result, children make good progress with their independence skills.
• Staff are positive role models to children, providing ample praise and encouragement throughout the day. Generally, children's behaviour is good. Staff model good manners and 'kind hands'. However, on occasions, some staff give mixed messages to children about rules and boundaries. This is confusing for children and does not consistently support their growing understanding of behavioural expectations.
• Partnerships with parents are a high priority to leaders and staff, who recognise the importance of developing positive relationships and regularly sharing two-way communication. Parents are extremely complimentary about the care and learning their children receive. They feel listened to and valued, and they comment that their children's interests are nourished by excellent staff.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• strengthen the coaching and mentoring arrangements for less-experienced staff to help raise the quality of interactions to a consistently high level
• support staff to give consistently clear messages so that children know and understand the expectations of their behaviour and learn right from wrong.