Ilm Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children wave 'goodbye' to their parents with huge smiles on their faces. Staff surround all children with lots of love and care. This helps them to feel safe and secure. Children are thriving at the setting. Staff plan an array of learning experiences that excite and stimulate children's curiosity and interests. This helps children of all ages to display high levels of engagement and concentration as they play. Children enjoy planting their own seeds. Staff have lots of discussion with them about what seeds need to survive.

Children state that they like to 'play with staff and their friends'. They enjoy sensory activities, such as rice and flour play. Staff are consistent with the way they manage children's behaviour. They have clear rules and expectations in place. Staff softly remind children of the rules where required. This helps children to understand what is expected of them. Children behave well. Staff provide children with lots of opportunities to build on their self-help skills and independence. Older children help serve and tidy up after mealtimes. Staff give younger children lots of time and space to learn how they can put on and zip up their own coat.

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

• Leaders are passionate and knowledgeable. They have a clear vision in place for the setting. This vision is shared by all staff. Leaders are keen for children to leave their setting independent and confident learners.
• Induction procedures are robust. Consequently, all staff, even those newly recruited, fully understand their roles, responsibilities and the setting's key polices and procedures.
• Leaders have designed a curriculum which is varied. They have key aims for the children as they transition through the setting. Staff use what they know about the children to help plan a range of stimulating learning experiences. However, there are occasions during free play where staff talk to children about what they already know, rather than providing challenge to help extend their thinking further.
• Leaders place focus on supporting children's communication and language development. Where children speak English as an additional language, staff find out key words from family members. Staff surround children with language, often narrating to the children as they play.
• Staff speak highly about how leaders support their own well-being. Leaders have regular review meetings with staff. During these meetings, they reflect on staff performance and give staff opportunities to share their own views. However, training for staff is not yet targeted on raising their knowledge and skills, with an aim to enhance further the quality of teaching children receive.
• Leaders offer a range of services to parents, which includes a food bank.
• Parents, great-grandparents and siblings speak highly about the setting. They describe staff as kind and loving. Staff keep parents and those with parental responsibility informed about their child's learning and progress. They provide them with ideas for how they can support their child at home.
• Staff find out key information about the children, when they first start attending. They also complete their own observations and assessments on the children to identify any gaps and to help develop next steps for them to achieve. Consequently, children make good progress in their learning.
• Staff show children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) high levels of patience and care. The special educational needs coordinator works well alongside parents and other professionals to develop and review plans for the children. However, at times staff do not fully implement these plans. This does not ensure that children with SEND consistently receive the support they require.
• Staff are positive role models towards the children. They swiftly intervene where required to help children solve conflicts. This helps support children to understand right from wrong.
• Staff work well alongside parents to help them provide a balanced packed lunch for their child. Staff provide parents with lots of information about the importance of oral hygiene. They also have discussions with the children about how they can keep themselves clean. This helps children to understand how they can live healthy lifestyles.
• Staff have discussions with the children about what makes them unique and their differences. They celebrate a range of festivals with the children. This helps them to learn about their wider world.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• strengthen the support for children with SEND, by ensuring all staff fully implement any plans that are in place so children receive the consistency they require
• support staff to offer challenge to children, particularly as they free play, with an aim to extend their thinking even further
• target training opportunities for staff more precisely on developing their knowledge and skills, with an aim to further enhance the quality of learning children receive.