Jayne's Nursery Ltd

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are happy and settled in this home-from-home setting. Staff create an environment where every child is supported to feel safe and secure. The well-organised key-person approach and transition arrangements mean that children settle quickly and form strong attachments with trusted staff. This helps them to become deeply engaged in their play and learning. Babies' are calm and relaxed, clearly feeling safe and secure. New children who are settling receive attentive one- to-one attention from staff. Children behave consistently well. Staff provide clear routines and rules that help children understand their expectations. Children show confidence as they take the lead in their play. They explore the sand hut, making 'sand soup', as they pretend to be chefs. Children remind each other to share, and staff praise them in the moment. Children also understand boundaries such as not jumping in puddles without their wellington boots.

Children learn about recycling, growing their own food and looking after the planet. Staff spend time talking to children about healthy eating. They explain how green vegetables help their muscles grow. Children enjoy their lunch and show independence in using cutlery and pouring water. Older children sleep outside in a sheltered area. They snuggle in to beds with sheets and duvets. Inside, babies' rest on mats or cots with staff gently soothing them to sleep. Overall, the curriculum is exciting, ambitious and responsive. It gives children the knowledge, skills and experiences they need for the next stage of learning, while encouraging them to be creative, independent and caring for others and the environment. All children make good progress from their starting point.

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

• The nursery demonstrates a strong commitment to sustainability. Children explore recycled materials creatively. For example, they make robots from reused items. Staff help children to learn that materials can be repurposed rather than thrown away. Gardening and water play are integrated into daily routines, with children helping to water plants. The nursery museum teaches children about change, such as how energy is now reusable.
• Leaders are clear about what they want children to experience and achieve during their time there. The curriculum is wide-ranging and shaped by children's interests. Staff use children's start points, interests and enquiries to build knowledge as they progress through the nursery. As a result, learning is always moving forward. Focus weeks once a term allow staff to tune in to children's individual needs and strengths.
• Communication and language run through the curriculum. Staff introduce children to stories, songs and rhymes. Story baskets and sound games help children develop listening skills in playful ways. In the baby room, staff model language well. They support new vocabulary through sensory bags, describing the contents as 'crunchy' and 'fuzzy' and providing a narrative as babies' explore and play.
• Children are creative and develop their fine motor skills. They make marks in sand and write lists on notepads. Children use scissors confidently. Staff demonstrate the correct grip and how to handle scissors safely. Staff offer guidance where needed and praise children often, helping children feel proud of their achievements.
• Children's health and well-being are central to the curriculum. Meals are vegetarian and freshly cooked, with menus shaped by expert advice. Children learn routines such as brushing their teeth after lunch. The outdoors is used frequently. Children access fresh air in abundance. They enjoy forest sessions and explore a discovery shed that encourages exploration of nature including different types of birds.
• Outdoors, children have fun fishing with nets in a water tray. Staff name colours and use descriptive language as children play. They encourage counting and positional words such as 'in' and 'out'. Children notice details such as rain drops on leaves, showing curiosity about the world.
• Leaders provide feedback to staff. Regular reviews are used to discuss individual staff performance and professional development. However, current systems for observing staff practice are not sharply focused enough to provide targeted feedback that strengthens individual teaching further. This means that on occasion the quality of teaching is inconsistent.
• Parents feel fully involved and reassured through regular updates. They appreciate the learning journals and regular focus weeks. They say staff are approachable, kind and always go the extra mile.
• Mealtimes are social occasions. Staff encourage children to notice when they are full and gently prompt them to eat a little more. Children are praised for trying new food. Staff also remind children to say please and thank you, and children respond positively, showing good manners.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• sharpen the monitoring and evaluating of staff practice to help to identify any inconsistencies and raise the already good levels of practice even higher.