Jack In The Box Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children show that they feel happy, safe and secure in the nursery's warm and welcoming environment. Babies develop warm, caring bonds with the staff looking after them. They enjoy plenty of opportunities to explore different textures, such as ice and paint, and spend time in the calming sensory area. Toddlers have fun playing with resources put out by staff that reflect their interests, and pre-school children learn about letter sounds in their preparation for their move to school. They confidently identify objects beginning with the letter sound of the week and suggest new words, such as 'Jupiter, jelly' and 'jar'.

The staff pride themselves on their good communication with each other and parents and constantly reflect on their practice to make improvements for the benefit of the children. Children thoroughly enjoy spending time outside and have plenty of space to run around, play football, ride on wheeled toys and balance on stilts. Children learn the importance of good health and hygiene through activities and the everyday routine. For example, they independently access the 'snuffle station' to wipe their noses and brush their teeth after lunch as part of a fun activity. Older children confidently explain why they need to brush their teeth and the nursery has gained an award for the promotion of oral hygiene, showing the importance staff place on dental health in children.

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

• Across the nursery, staff support children's communication development well. They use sign language with younger children and provide focused activities for children who speak English as an additional language or those who require additional support with their speech. This really helps to boost children's development.
• Staff know how to plan enjoyable and purposeful activities, based around children's needs and interests. They use their professional knowledge well to assess children's learning and plan what they need to learn next. On some occasions, staff do not ensure the activities children have access to are consistently well resourced, to fully support children's play and extend their learning.
• Staff feel well supported by the management team. They have confidence in their manager and their well-being reflects positively on the atmosphere within the nursery. Staff receive regular supervision and training opportunities to support their continuous professional development. They also complete basic life support training every year on matters such as resuscitation and choking. This shows the priority staff place on children's health and safety.
• The key-person system is effective. Staff take time to get to know their key children well. Staff are respectful towards the children. For example, routines such as nappy changing take place during general play and do not interrupt group times. Staff gently explain to toddlers that they need to change their nappies, allowing them time to prepare for what comes next.
• Children are confident learners and show good behaviour, overall. Toddlers are learning how to resolve conflicts, such as how to share toys. However, although staff have agreed some good strategies, such as using a sand timer to help children visually see how they can take turns for a certain amount of time, these resources are not always used effectively. As a result, children do not always receive consistent support to help them develop cooperative relationships with their friends.
• Partnerships with parents are strong. Many parents are returning parents with their second or third child. This demonstrates their confidence in the care provided at this nursery. Parents comment on the good communication from staff and how staff share regular information about their children's care and learning. This helps parents to support their children's development at home.
• Children have plenty of opportunities to benefit from the fresh air. Staff take babies outside regularly and they have their own safe space with appropriate equipment for their age. Older children take part in football sessions and freely access their designated outdoor areas throughout the day. They play skittles with staff and climb onto the wooden boat, where they can see the street on the other side. Children excitedly tell staff about the vehicles they can see going past.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support staff to plan both adult-led and spontaneous activities more thoroughly, so that they are consistently well resourced to support children's play and learning experiences
• ensure staff consistently implement the agreed behaviour management strategies, to help children learn to resolve conflict and continue developing good relationships with their peers.