Huggies Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children flourish at this warm and welcoming nursery. They arrive eager to start their day and are greeted enthusiastically by staff. Children make excellent progress with their personal development. Staff promote children's independence seamlessly throughout the nursery. Children demonstrate a real can-do attitude to learning, which is enhanced by consistent praise and encouragement from staff.

The manager and staff are passionate about providing rich and meaningful experiences for children that enhance their knowledge and understanding of the world around them. Pre-school children learn a new language. They eagerly say 'hola' to their Spanish teacher as she arrives for their session. Babies demonstrate high levels of concentration and determination as they tap their rhythm sticks to the beat of the song. Children learn to respect and take care of animals as they look after the nursery's guinea pigs. Children receive a wealth of experiences and develop the skills they need to prepare them for their future success.

Children's behaviour is superb. Children of all ages respond excellently to staff and follow instructions extremely well. This creates a calm and positive learning environment. Pre-school children recall their 'golden rules' during circle time. Children of all ages play harmoniously alongside their peers.

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

• The manager has implemented a well-sequenced curriculum that ensures that children have the skills and knowledge required to progress to the next stage of their learning. Staff provide children with a wide range of play-based learning opportunities, which are guided by children's current interests. As a result, children show high levels of engagement in activities.
• A carefully thought out and well-resourced learning environment supports children's development successfully. Staff provide quality role-play areas that encourage children to engage in imaginary play. For example, toddlers sit in plastic crates and pretend that they are driving a car. Older children work together to make a slide by propping a wooden plank against a bench. Children confidently lead their own play.
• Staff challenge children to think for themselves. For example, toddlers show an interest in a bandage as they role play doctors and nurses. Staff skilfully ask open-ended questions that encourage children to think about how they might use the bandage. This helps children to be critical thinkers.
• Staff know their key children very well. During the settling-in process, they gather important information about children, including their routines and dietary requirements. Staff use observations of children to assess what they know and can do. They have a secure knowledge of child development and plan challenging, meaningful next steps for children to achieve.
• The dedicated manager is extremely passionate and strives for continual improvement. Termly supervision sessions allow a safe space to support staff's well-being and professional development. However, the monitoring of staff is not yet precise enough to address variations in teaching practice and consistently raise the standard of teaching to the highest level.
• Support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who speak English as an additional language is strong. Staff work in partnership with parents and other professionals to ensure that children's needs and targets are met. As a result, children make good progress from their starting points.
• Partnership with parents is strong. Parents value the care provided and describe the staff as 'welcoming' and 'approachable'. Staff keep parents informed of their child's development and important milestones, including transitions to new rooms. Parents are valued as partners in their child's education.
• Staff support children to extend their growing vocabulary. For example, staff introduce pre-school children to new words, such as 'stem' and 'delicate', as they talk about a daffodil. Toddlers use words such as 'juicy' to describe the peppers they have independently cut in the home corner. Children are confident communicators.
• The manager and staff promote children's healthy lifestyle well. Children enjoy healthy meals and snacks. They follow good hygiene practices. Daily outdoor play provides a range of opportunities for children to be physically active. Children climb and run freely. They practise their coordination and balance as they ride on bicycles and tricycles.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• focus more precisely on monitoring staff's teaching practice to help address minor variations and consistently raise the standard of teaching to the highest level.