Humberstone Park Day Nursery Ltd

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are cared for by a team of caring and attentive staff, who know the children that they look after well. Upon arrival at the nursery, children separate from their parents easily. Those children that need a little help to settle receive a reassuring cuddle from their key person. Staff support children to use their imaginations. Toddlers pretend that they are pirates and hunt for treasure. Staff model pirate language for the children to copy and help to extend the children's play. Children have developed good friendships with each other and play well together.

Staff have high expectations for the children in their care. They encourage children to be independent. Babies are supported to wash their hands before sitting down to eat a snack. Older babies have learned to drink from open top cups. Staff help toddlers learn how to serve their own meals. Pre-school children are learning how to stay safe when they go for walks in the park. Staff remind them that they need to keep hold of their friend's hand and that when dogs approach them, they should stand still, so that dogs do not chase them. Staff use walks in the parks well to teach children about the wildlife that they see, and to draw their attention to the affect that the weather and seasons have on the natural environment.

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

• Staff promptly recognise the signs that children may need additional help. They work alongside parents and other professionals, where gaps in children's learning and development are identified, to implement targeted support. The manager and provider ensure that additional funding, such as early years pupil premium, is used effectively to benefit the children who receive it.
• Staff support children to learn about the traditions, cultures, and festivals that others within their community celebrate. Children have fun as they paint Easter chicks and Easter eggs. With support from staff, the children learn to share and take turns with the creative resources available. However, during some group activities, staff do not always ensure that the learning of more capable children is suitably challenged.
• Staff use information from observations of children to plan for their individual next steps in development, providing activities that help children build on what they already know and can do. The provider, manager and staff have a clear intention for what they want children to learn while they are in their care. They aim to ensure that the children are emotionally secure and ready for transitions into the nursery, between rooms and eventually on to school. They also aim to promote children's independence and self-care skills and encourage children to be confident to communicate.
• Staff plan activities based on the interest of the children in their care. They ensure that they plan to cover all areas of learning. However, the activities that promote children's mathematical development are not as well planned or implemented. For example, when staff ask children to count the trees in the park while on a walk, children count by rote up to 20. However, staff fail to support the children to match the number they are counting to the actual number of trees that they can see.
• Robust recruitment procedures are in place to ensure that all staff employed to work with children are suitable to do so. New staff receive an in-depth induction, so that they understand their role and responsibilities. Staff report that they really enjoy working at the setting, that they feel valued and supported by the manager and the provider.
• Parent partnerships are good. Parents comment that the staff at the nursery know their child well and keep them informed about their child's day. Parents say that they receive regular updates about their child's progress and development. Staff give parents ideas about activities that they can do at home to support their child's learning. Parents comment that when they collect their child at the end of the day, their child is very excited to share with them all the fun things they have been doing.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• enhance the implementation of group activities, so that all children are suitably challenged and engaged
• support staff to deliver the curriculum for mathematics in a more purposeful and effective way.