Ingrebourne Neighbourhood Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are safe and happy at the nursery. Younger children feel secure with caring and familiar staff. Older children independently explore their environment and seek to interact with their friends. Staff provide children with familiar activities and routines. This helps children to settle successfully on arrival. Children are eager to explore the stimulating activities that are set out for them. Staff prioritise children's physical development when they plan the curriculum. Toddlers and pre-school children show great confidence and coordination negotiating the outdoor space on wheeled vehicles. Babies enjoy the large open space to explore indoors. They independently stand and climb in and out of the large ball pool.

Children show care and respect for their learning environment and behave well. Staff are good role models and demonstrate the behaviour expected of children, including sharing and using good manners. Staff provide children with praise for their positive behaviours and achievements. This contributes to supporting children's self esteem and confidence. Children cooperate with their peers during their play. For example, children take turns to press buttons while using remote-controlled equipment.

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

• Staff read books with enthusiasm to keep children engaged and interested. Children across the different age groups develop a love of books and reading. Staff listen as older children recall familiar characters and phrases in the story. This supports children's developing communication and language skills.
• Staff support children's physical development and good health. They encourage children's physical play. For example, children run and jump into hoops and negotiate balancing on beams. Staff talk about exercise to children and why eating their lunch is important for their bodies. This helps children to understand the importance of healthy eating.
• Staff have a strong partnership with parents. Parents share that they are happy with the service the nursery provides and the progress that their children make. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, restrictions have lifted, and staff have created events for parents to attend. They share information with parents about their children's progress. However, staff do not consistently give parents information to help them to continue their child's learning at home.
• Staff support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) effectively. They share information regarding children's learning and development with other professionals. This enables staff to plan next steps to ensure that children with SEND make progress in their learning.
• Staff provide children with clear and concise instructions, such as to help tidy resources away. Staff model what they expect from children. They also use visual picture cards to help children understand what they are being asked. This helps children to provide a quick response and supports a calm and organised environment for all children to make progress.
• Children learn self-help skills, which support their independence. Staff encourage children to put on their coats, wash their hands, pour water and feed themselves.
• Staff teach children to identify and manage risks. For example, older children risk assess that the garden is safe and free from hazards. This helps children to keep themselves safe.
• The manager supports staff to complete relevant online training. Staff have recently completed training about 'Prevent' duty online, to help identify and keep children safe. They also benefit from regular supervision sessions. However, the manager has not provided specific training to further enable all staff to build on their knowledge and teaching skills.
• Staff provide a good quality of learning for children to experience. Children's communication and language skills are well supported. Babies use Makaton signs to communicate their needs to the adult. Staff introduce older children to new descriptive language as they play. Children use these words in their play as they describe the items in the sand as 'sinking and melting'.
• Children develop well in mathematics. Pre-school children correctly count the number of steps they take as they climb. Younger children join in with singing and signing number rhymes.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• share more information with parents to support them to extend and continue their child's learning at home
• target staff's professional development more precisely, to raise the quality of education to an even higher level.