Immingham Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children thrive in this warm and welcoming nursery. They show high levels of confidence as they demonstrate their problem-solving skills. Staff ask questions that help the children to think carefully about what they are going to do next. For example, children think about the best way to clean a mat that they have been painting on. Staff ask questions such as 'What could you use?' and 'What would happen if...?'. Children say, 'I've got a great idea,' and provide answers to the questions they are asked.

Children particularly enjoy playing outdoors. They play hide and seek and count as they wait for their friends to hide. Children show off their balancing skills as they walk across a bridge they have built out of blocks. They further demonstrate their physical skills as they jump on the spot and throw and kick balls to each other.

Children demonstrate excellent communication and language skills. Staff support these by commenting on what children are doing. Staff repeat back what children say and add new words. For example, in the baby room, a child says 'blue' and the staff member repeats back 'blue brick'. Older children describe in detail what they are doing. Children are developing a wide range of vocabulary.

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

• Children's behaviour is exceptional. They follow staff's instructions with ease. When it is time to tidy up, all children stop and wait for the 'tidy-up song'. Children all help to tidy away their toys and cheer with pride when they complete the task by the end of the song.
• Staff help children to understand their feelings. Children identify how they are feeling by stepping on photos of happy or sad faces. Staff ask them what makes them feel that way and they all talk together about their feelings. Babies are provided with excellent care that fosters strong bonds with their key person. Staff are sensitive to their needs and comfort them when they are tired or upset.
• Staff provide excellent opportunities for children to explore and be curious. Children spontaneously initiate activities and show excitement when doing so. They select objects from a wide range of resources to test out their theory of whether the object will float or sink in the water.
• Children make a positive contribution to decision-making across the setting. Staff provide many opportunities for children to have their say. For example, children vote for the pet they want to have in the setting. They decide together the name of the new pet by voting from a range of names. Children are rapidly developing their confidence and self-esteem as their opinions are valued.
• Staff support children to develop their independence. Children make choices about when they want to go outside to play. They put on their own coats and shoes, serve themselves at lunchtime and clear away their plates.
• Managers recognise that children's experiences have been limited due to the COVID-19 pandemic. They are proactive in organising trips and visits in the local community and wider environment. Children enjoy visits to the local post office and picnics in the park. Managers and staff consider how these experiences link to the curriculum as they plan further activities on return to the setting. Children are rapidly developing a strong sense of belonging to their community.
• Managers and staff are proactive in seeking support from outside agencies. For example, staff make links with speech and language therapists and develop swift interventions for children who need extra support with their language and communication. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are supported by skilled staff who help them to make good progress in all areas of learning.
• Partnership with parents is strong. Parents describe how they are well informed about their child's progress and what they are learning next. They describe how their child's language has improved and how their child has made friends. Parents say that staff show an interest in their child right from when they start at the nursery.
• Managers provide effective supervision and training support for staff. Staff attend regular training opportunities to develop their knowledge of safeguarding and how children learn. However, during a whole-group phonics activity, very young children are expected to join in with aspects of learning that they are not yet ready for. That being said, all children sit and pay attention because staff are skilled at engaging with them. Leaders are clearly focused on ensuring improvement so that all staff fully understand how all children learn.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• ensure that the impact of training and supervision is monitored more closely so that all staff understand how all children learn, in particular during large-group activities where the ages and stages of children are broad.