Hucknall Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children enjoy the learning opportunities provided by staff, who have a strong focus on making them feel at home. They learn early mathematics skills, counting the number of blocks they have stacked, and laugh with staff when the tower topples over. Children have built secure bonds with staff, who show them lots of care. They show that they feel safe, as they are confident to speak to new people and ask for help when they need it. For example, they ask for help to fix the zip on their top.

Children show the desire to learn new skills from staff, who praise them regularly for their achievements. They give big smiles when praised by staff for trying new food. Staff frequently encourage children to have a go on their own, saying, 'you can do it'. Children say, 'I did it', with delight when they manage to use a knife and fork to cut up their roast potatoes on their own. Children begin to problem solve, as staff ask questions that encourage them to think. They identify, responding to questions from staff, that the difference between a square and a rectangle is that one has two longer sides.

Children learn manners from staff, who are good role models. Staff ask children to 'please use your fork to eat'. Children say, 'no thanks', when asked if they want gravy.

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

• Leaders have made significant improvements since the last inspection. They have addressed the actions to ensure that children are safe. Leaders think about children's needs when identifying training for staff. For example, they identified that the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted on the well-being of some staff, children and their families. Leaders support training opportunities for staff, and staff have received training to enable them to support the well-being of staff, children and families, if required.
• Staff support children to learn about behaviour expectations. They explain to one-year-old children that another child is playing with the spade at the moment. Staff model how to ask for a spade from another staff member. One-year-old children listen well to requests to find another spade. They fetch another spade and bring it back to the sand tray to dig alongside the other child. Children in the pre-school room understand that they should wait for their friends to have their dinner served before they start eating.
• Leaders have clear thinking on the skills and knowledge they want children to gain across the areas of learning. They have thought about how to tailor support in each room at the nursery so that children's learning is sequenced well. Leaders identify that the pandemic has an impact on children's independence skills. They worked with local schools to identify key independence skills children need to gain while at the nursery.
• Staff provide lots of opportunities for children to develop their physical skills, helping them to become independent. They model how to use tools, such as play dough cutters, and give instructions while two-year-old children have a go themselves. Children in the pre-school room learn to hold their bowl at an angle to enable them to scoop out every bit of melted ice cream. Children develop good physical and independence skills.
• Parents are happy with the care provided by staff. They like the home-from-home feel and that children enjoying going to nursery. Parents think that communication from staff is great. They receive updates on 'golden moments' when their children learn new skills. Parents comment that staff give them ideas on how they can work together to support children's learning, both at nursery and at home.
• Staff support children to develop their skills in all areas of learning. However, sometimes, staff do not think enough about how they can support individual children's needs during the learning they plan.
• Leaders use additional funding well. They use information from parents and staff, giving them insight into children's interests and progress. Leader use funding to provide enjoyable learning experiences that are linked to what children need to learn next.
• Staff support children's communication and language development well. One-year-old children say 'more' when they ask for water in their bucket. Staff extend their language, saying, 'more water', as they fill the bucket. They introduce more complex words to older children, such as 'pentagon'. However, not all staff talk enough with children, and, sometimes, others do not give children time to respond.
• Leaders and staff use their thorough knowledge of children to widen their learning experiences. They help children learn about their own and other children's cultures. For example, staff support children to learn about Chinese New Year. Children are able to recall that it is the Year of the Rabbit.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• develop staff understanding of how to better support each child's individual needs in the learning that they plan
• improve consistency of staff interactions so that children can develop their communication skills even further.