Jack and Jills Nursery School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children engage in a wide range of stimulating learning experiences that help them to develop their knowledge and skills. The well-planned environment considers children's current interests and supports their learning. For instance, they decide to use magnifying glasses to get a closer look at bugs outside after looking at the toy's ones inside. They show great care as they look at how many legs the spider has.

Children are cared for by a consistent staff team, who are truly passionate about the job they do. Children have extremely secure attachments with the dedicated and enthusiastic staff. Settling-in sessions for new children are tailored to suit the individual needs of children and families. Staff get to know parents and children well before they start at the setting. This helps children to settle quickly and feel safe and secure in the nursery.

Children's behaviour is excellent. They learn to manage their feelings and emotions and treat one another with kindness. Children are gaining in confidence to talk about their feelings and emotions. For example, through activities such as the 'colour monster'. They learn to consider the impact of how they are feeling has on others, and what they can do to help their friends. Children have a sense of self. They have access to their family photos in each room that they explore.

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

• Staff are inspirational teachers and have exceptional knowledge of child development and the skills children need for their future learning. They know their key children exceptionally well. Staff continuously assess what children know and can do, planning precisely for their next steps in learning.
• Children relish learning about nature and wildlife. Children explain that birds need food during winter, and they make bird feeders out of seeds and fat. Children observe the changing seasons outside and make observational drawings of trees commenting, 'They have no leaves now as it is winter.'
• Children develop mathematical language, as staff expertly thread it through their activities. For example, children count how many oranges there are at snack time and discuss with staff the difference between a 'full' and 'half' a banana.
• It is evident that children are developing a love of stories and books. They turn the pages carefully and read to their friends, making sure that they are comfortable and can see the pictures. Children recap what happens in a story and are able to identify the title and author of the book.
• Children demonstrate consistently positive attitudes to their play and learning. For example, children delight in making their own decisions and solving problems. For example, in their construction play, they decide where to place tubes to make tunnels to the castle they construct. Children dress up in hard hats and jackets and comment, 'They are just like builders.'
• Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are extremely well supported. Staff provide detailed care plans and work cohesively with other professionals to help children with SEND to receive expert support, helping them to make the best possible progress.
• Managers understand the needs of children very well and use funding to target interventions for children. In addition, the nursery provides a wide range of extra-curricular activities to keep children active and engage them in different aspects of learning. For instance, staff provide dance classes, swimming sessions and soft-play sessions for children.
• Staff use the knowledge and skills gained from training to provide daily intervention sessions to boost children's communication and language development. Children are engaged in consistently high-quality interactions, as practitioners use clear and correct pronunciation of words. As a result, children are making rapid progress in their language and communication.
• Partnerships with parents are excellent. Staff invite parents into the setting regularly to discuss their child's development and next steps in learning. They send ideas for activities to parents to continue their children's learning at home. Parents speak highly of the setting and say they are 'amazed' at what their children know.
• The manager and staff are passionate about providing children with high-quality experiences. They display genuine commitment to their work with children. Staff conscientiously consult with parents and evaluate their curriculum to ensure that it meets the needs of all the children. Staff attend regular training to ensure that their knowledge is up to date.