Humpty Dumpty Childcare

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children make good progress in their learning. Staff provide a varied curriculum because they know the children well and plan activities specifically linked to their interests and what they need to learn next. For example, older children make fossils from salt dough and model dinosaurs. They watch a film explaining when dinosaurs died and how they became fossils. Children show great interest and are really keen to contribute their knowledge of dinosaurs and fossils such as ammonites. Toddlers explore farm animals in oats, learning the different names of the animals and practising the sounds they make. Babies enjoy making marks with large chalks on paper, building their muscles in preparation for early literacy skills.

Children show high levels of confidence as they move around the welcoming nursery environment. All the children benefit from excellent outdoor facilities, where they hunt for bugs. Toddlers spend considerable time observing how slugs and woodlice move. Staff encourage them to recognise differences between slugs and snails. The children tell staff that, 'A snail has their house with them.' Children build positive relationships with the other children and the adults. They work together to build with construction blocks and show a great sense of pride when they have finished their models. Children understand the simple rules which staff display around the nursery, such as using 'kind hands' and sharing. Staff role model good manners and encourage children to share and take turns from an early age. Consequently, children's behaviour is good.

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

• Key persons develop good links with parents. They share good-quality information, including ideas on how parents can help their child's learning at home. However, prior to children moving up to their next room, key persons do not always exchange information promptly about what the children already know and can do. This means that children do not always benefit from a seamless transition which promotes continuous learning.
• All staff place a high emphasis on children's communication and language, and tailor activities to increase children's vocabulary. Staff have attended training on 'closing the word gap' and implement what they have learned in everyday play. Staff narrate what the children are doing and introduce new words and with younger children. For example, children have five familiar words each month that they practise through songs and stories. Children's communication and language skills are good.
• Children learn how to keep themselves safe. Staff give children clear explanations about how to use equipment safely and how to move around the nursery safely, particularly in the outdoor environment. The setting has a nursery teddy called 'PC Paws', which it uses to help children follow simple safety rules such as using their 'walking feet' inside. Children show good levels of confidence negotiating the climbing equipment, for example.
• Children throughout the nursery have good opportunities to learn about healthy lifestyles. They participate in activities such as 'wake and shake' and yoga, supporting their physical and mental well-being. Children benefit from healthy and nutritious meals. All the meals are designed in conjunction with a nutritionist and take into account a no-salt and low-sugar diet to support children with their overall health and well-being. All children throughout the nursery benefit from daily opportunities to play outdoors, developing their large-muscle control while they climb, balance and use a range of tools.
• In general, children follow good hygiene routines. They know when to wash their hands and why. However, staff are not always proactive in supporting children with learning how to maintain good health and well-being, such as by blowing their own nose and disposing of the tissue appropriately. In addition, on occasions, staff put toddler's comforters on the muddy mat when they come in from outside, which children sometimes put into their mouth.
• Partnership with parents is good. Parents report that they feel there is good communication about what their children are doing and how they can help them. They also like the security of the building so that they know their children are safe.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• improve the communication between key persons when children move up to the next room so that staff know what children need to learn next
• support children with managing their own health and well-being by teaching them good hygiene routines.