Il Nido Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are happy and settle well at this nurturing, home-from-home nursery. Friendly staff know children exceptionally well. They place children's best interests at the heart of all they do. Staff are incredibly attentive to children's individual needs. A well-organised key-person system supports children to form strong attachments and promotes their well-being. Sensitive staff encourage quieter children to join in. They give lots of praise and encouragement. This helps children to develop confidence and raises their self-esteem.

Children are confident and have a real thirst for learning. They are keen to tackle challenges and display a can-do attitude. They are keen to share their experiences. The sound of excited chatter fills the air. For example, children confidently talk about their interests in safari and jungle animals. Staff extend this interest by introducing books that teach facts about animals. Children delight as they explore ice melting while they paint autumn pictures.

Children behave very well. They understand boundaries and show great respect for their peers. They earn pebbles for positive behaviour. For instance, staff reward them for 'good listening' or answering questions. Children use exceptional manners without being prompted. They invite other children into their play as they splash in the water tray. This helps to make the nursery a lovely place for children to be.

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

• Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are very well supported. Staff work closely with children's families and other professionals. They develop and implement targeted plans for children who need extra help. This helps to ensure that outcomes are strong for all children.
• The learning environment is inviting with lots of exciting resources that are easily accessible to children. Staff know what they want children to learn, due to their accurate use of assessments and planning for children's next steps. The nursery curriculum is broad and takes account of children's different styles of learning. This helps children to make good levels of progress.
• Children are encouraged to be independent. Babies use spoons to feed themselves and older children self-serve healthy and nutritious meals. Staff teach children how to attend to their own care needs. They develop an understanding about oral hygiene as they clean their own teeth after mealtimes. This helps children to learn about the importance of a healthy lifestyle.
• Overall, staff promote children's communication and language skills well. They narrate children's actions and repeat words back to babies to help develop their vocabulary. Children hear language, which is interesting and relevant, and have plenty of opportunities to share thoughts and ideas. However, staff do not consistently model correct words. For example, they use words such as 'ta' when saying thank you and refer to animals as 'doggies' and 'pussy cats'. This does not support babies emerging awareness of correct language.
• Great value is placed on books and sharing stories. Children enjoy opportunities to listen to stories read by enthusiastic staff. They regularly borrow books to share at home through the nursery library. They excitedly look for objects which begin with the 'letter of the week'. However, staff do not always pronounce letters correctly when teaching children. This means that they do not develop the correct phonological knowledge needed for early reading and school.
• Parents and carers are happy with the setting and express how much their children enjoy attending. They complement the 'amazing relationships' that children build with staff. Following the COVID-19 pandemic, parents of children aged two and above do not enter the setting to drop off children. However, they are kept very well informed about their child's progress through the new online app and regular parent evenings. Staff share ideas for how parents can support children's learning at home. This helps children to make even greater levels of progress.
• The passionate and dedicated owner adopts a very hands-on approach. She regularly meets with the long-standing team to discuss best practice and identify training needs. Newer members of staff are very well supported. For example, the owner and manager observe staff and give them feedback and guidance to develop their teaching. Staff are encouraged to access online training to further improve their practice.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• help staff to understand how to further extend children's growing vocabulary and communication skills, to support their communication and language skills to the highest level
• improve staff's knowledge of how to teach early reading to ensure that children hear the correct letter sounds to help develop their phonological awareness ready for school.