Jancett Childcare, Stanley Park Road, Wallington

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are warmly welcomed by staff. They foster a cheerful and caring atmosphere that helps children to settle quickly and feel secure. Families recognise the positive influence of the nursery, noting their children's eagerness to attend. Strong relationships promote children's confidence, emotional security and sense of belonging. Staff model respectful behaviour and routines, using praise to build children's self-esteem and social skills. Children delight in splashing and pouring during water play, and staff gently describe what's happening as they play. This helps build vocabulary in a way that is fun and easy to remember. An external agency guides the staff to use a variety of strategies to support children's language and communication skills.

Leaders have developed a well-sequenced curriculum that builds on what children already know and can do. Staff draw on their understanding of children's developmental needs and interests to plan purposeful, engaging activities. These are thoughtfully themed around the core book, enhancing motivation and securing meaningful progress. Staff work closely with parents and external agencies to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Staff identify when children need extra support and ensure referrals are made promptly so families receive the help they need without delay.

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

• Leaders and staff have worked hard to make improvements since the previous inspection. For example, procedures have been reviewed to prevent children's unsupervised movement, to minimise staffing gaps, and to reinforce best practice in maintaining vigilance. This means identified risks have been minimised to keep children safe.
• Leaders have cultivated a strong culture of staff well-being. Staff report that they feel valued and supported, both professionally and personally. This contributes to high staff morale, resulting in a positive and nurturing environment that directly benefits children. Ongoing training is targeted and implemented to enhance staff expertise to enrich the quality of children's experiences.
• Staff encourage children to sing familiar songs with actions and pictures, which helps support their early language development. They learn to make choices by recognising visual prompts linked to each song, encouraging confidence and communication. The themed use of core books means children can experience the story in different ways. This leaves them with a deeper understanding and promotes a love of books.
• Children are offered enriching opportunities to explore and connect with living creatures, which promotes empathy and care. Interactions with the nursery guinea pig and tortoise support the development of kind and respectful behaviour. They engage in sensory activities to learn about the world, for example, when they smell and feel the texture of parsley and coriander. They learn new vocabulary and take turns during these activities.
• Children are building independence and self-care skills as they put on their shoes, wipe their faces and wash their hands. They confidently choose their own play and engage in physical activities that promote both large and small motor development. For instance, they move through a ball pit, thread material with precision and problem solve when manipulating puzzle locks.
• Established routines promote a sense of security and consistency for children. Transitions are well managed. However, at times, older babies experience delays while staff prepare activities, which results in disengagement. Staff interactions are nurturing and support children's communication, emotional development and relationships. However, during lunchtime preparation, staff deployment limits opportunities for meaningful engagement with younger babies.
• Leaders are clearly committed to fostering strong partnerships with parents. The nursery provide blogs for parents on topics, such as behaviour and school readiness. The parent hub offers easy access to policies and newsletters. After parent feedback, an improved online app will soon be available to better inform parents about their child's day. Curriculum updates, book lists, 'try this at home' activities, and speech and language resources create a bridge between learning at nursery and home.
• Inclusive menus are thoughtfully planned and shaped by feedback from parents. These are validated by the Early Years Nutrition Partnership to ensure they are healthy and balanced. Young children enjoy their meals and learn to feed themselves. Staff work closely with parents to ensure that all children's specific dietary and medical needs are understood and catered for. This supports children's good health.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• review the planning to ensure that older babies have a rich variety of activities available to them without having to wait for too long to avoid disengagement
• ensure staff deployment at lunchtime enables responsive interaction with babies during wait periods to further support communication, emotional regulation and relationships.