Hummingbird Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children arrive happy and quickly become engaged in their play right from the start. For example, during self-registration, older children find and write their name. Young children are eager to participate making marks and identifying letters from their name. This builds on their literacy skills.

Staff have high expectations of all children. They give children a rich range of age-appropriate experiences which help them to understand the community beyond their own. For instance, children make flags for a local theatre show. They delight in attending the event and proudly show their parents their artwork. Staff skilfully teach children about diversity. For example, they discuss their uniqueness and wear coloured clothes to celebrate the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community. Parents speak highly of the nursery. They appreciate the detailed daily updates. Children share and regulate their behaviour well.

Staff support children's speech and language development. For instance, babies babble as young children enthusiastically choose toys from the basket so that staff will lead songs with them, such as 'Incy Wincy Spider'. Throughout the day, staff ask meaningful questions and provide time for children to share their thoughts and ideas. For example, children discuss the smell and texture of different plants and ingredients. Older children suggest the ingredients smell like 'mint' and 'pineapple'. This contributes to extending children's vocabulary. However, during some play activities, opportunities are missed to support children who speak English as an additional language.

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

• Children of all ages have plenty of opportunities to explore different materials. For instance, they weigh, measure and count out how many scoops of flour and oil are needed to make play dough. Older children confidently count from one to 10. They develop their mathematical skills.
• The manager provides strong leadership for the staff. They regularly reflect on their practice and assess the quality of the provision. As a result, they identify areas for development to enhance communication and reading opportunities for children. For example, they develop the reading and 'chill out' area. Children cuddle up under the tepee, where they access puppets, books and recording devices to extend their storytelling and language skills.
• Staff use children's home experiences to extend learning. For example, children paint their own artwork following a discussion about a child's visit to the museum to see the famous painting of sunflowers. They extend their learning by planting and growing sunflowers. This helps to broaden children's experiences and understanding of the wider world around them.
• Staff support children to manage their self-care. For example, children use the mirror to see their refection when they independently blow their nose. In addition, staff skilfully teach children about the importance of good oral hygiene. This is evident when children talk about what too much sugar can do to your teeth.
• The staff work closely with professionals and parents to promptly support children's specific needs. They use additional funding effectively. For instance, children use recording devices which play back their sounds and words. This helps to close any gaps in children's learning. However, opportunities are missed to further support children who speak English as an additional language.
• Children of all ages have plenty of opportunities to develop their physical skills. They climb, balance and explore outside. In addition, they build on their knowledge of nature. They grow, pick and eat their own fruit and vegetables. This provides children with lots of opportunities to understand life cycles and what makes them healthy.
• Children are highly independent and often complete tasks for themselves. They show high levels of care for their friends and their toys. For example, young children manage their feelings and challenges when they want to use resources which need to be shared. They ask staff for the sand timer so that everyone takes turns to use the pushchair. Children manage their feelings well.
• From a young age, children's inquisitive nature is encouraged extremely well both inside and outside. For instance, babies and young children scoop sand and develop their muscles as they try to blow bubbles. Older children use a range of heavy and light tools. They learn how to take risks safely during activities. They dig out pumpkins and use pots and pans to mix water, teabags, herbs and coffee. Children flourish as they explore and investigate the environment, using all their senses.
• Parents of young children appreciate the support their children receive to help them settle quickly. For instance, parents share sleeping methods from home to help provide smooth transitions. Parents also appreciate the time and care taken to ensure that children's dietary needs are met. This helps to keep children safe.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• make the most of all interactions with children who speak English as an additional language, to further support their vocabulary and communication development.