Imperial College Early Years Education Centre

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children and their parents are met warmly on arrival by familiar staff. Older children hang up their coats and join their friends. Babies separate easily from parents. Staff take time to speak to parents and ensure all children settle extremely well into the daily routine. Highly effective staff deployment means the start of the day is calm and relaxed. Children are comfortable and ready to learn.

The high-quality nursery environment is maintained to an exceptionally high standard. Children's developmental needs are central to how spaces are organised. For example, furniture in the youngest children's rooms is at a low level. This helps babies to access the resources they need independently.

Children have opportunities to explore numbers, letters and mark making in every learning area. For example, in the realistic home corner, there are lists to write and magazines to read. Children's physical well-being is supported exceedingly well. Staff provide challenging outdoor learning experiences which all children thoroughly enjoy.

Throughout their day at nursery children demonstrate high levels of engagement in their learning. They focus intently on their work and are expertly supported by a highly skilled staff team. Children are happy. They make friends and play well with their peers. All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), are exceptionally ready for their next steps in learning, including starting school.

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

• The leadership team and staff have high expectations for all children. They plan a rich and inspiring learning environment based on children's individual needs. An exceptional level of thought about the resources available means children engage meaningfully and purposefully with their learning. All children, including those who speak English as an additional language and those with SEND, make excellent progress from their starting points.
• Children's behaviour is exemplary. They are remarkably happy and settled. Staff are nurturing and compassionate and they are excellent role models for children. Children learn about and respect their different cultural backgrounds and customs. They play together exceptionally well. They are kind and courteous. Children demonstrate a high level of confidence and self-esteem.
• Staff are committed to improving children's health. Children have high levels of personal independence. They learn about managing their personal hygiene, for example, washing their hands and brushing their teeth. Children and staff learn to consider their mental health and how to look after their emotional well-being.
• Children are supported exceedingly well to develop their understanding of the importance of healthy food choices and lifestyles.
• Parents speak highly of the care their children receive. They compliment the high-quality resources, the opportunities for children to play outdoors, the consistently knowledgeable staff team and the nutritious food their children eat.
• The leadership team has taken steps to reduce the environmental impact of the nursery. A member of staff leads on reducing waste and finding sustainable alternatives. Children learn about ways they can reduce their impact on the environment. They read about plastics in the ocean and develop their own creative ideas and solutions in their play. This helps children develop a high level of understanding about the world and being part of a wider community.
• Children have regular access to the incredibly well-designed nursery garden. A bespoke climbing frame provides exciting opportunities for children to extend their physical skills. There is space to use bicycles, dig in the mud, play in the sand and enjoy the outdoors. Through a gate, children can access a wilder space which they call the 'secret garden'. Here they identify trees, squelch in the mud and explore the natural environment.
• The leadership team has strong links with outside organisations that provide further opportunities for learning. Children recently visited the pond at the local Ecological Society where they observed frogspawn. In the nursery, staff have created a pond with frogs, pond weed and rocks. Sticky rice and lentils make a realistic 'frogspawn'. There are books available about the life cycle and what children can expect when they return to the pond. Staff use opportunities to engage with the natural world to help children develop excellent literacy, communication and language skills.