Jelly Babies Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are greeted warmly by staff at this welcoming nursery. They eagerly go upstairs to see their friends. Staff have created interesting learning environments, both indoors and in the secure outdoor space. Resources and activities have been carefully selected to meet children's different stages of development. They also reflect children's interests. There is a lovely balance between activities led by adults, and opportunities for children to lead their own play. The youngest children are supported to gain confidence and develop their physical skills as they climb on and off equipment outdoors. Two-year-olds develop their understanding of mathematical vocabulary as they scoop and pour porridge oats. They also take part in song time, with considerable enthusiasm. In the pre-school room, children take pride in caring for the vegetables they have planted. They develop their problem-solving skills as they predict which items will float and which will sink. These carefully considered learning opportunities support children to make progress from their starting points.

Children's emotional well-being is promoted strongly. This starts with personalised arrangements to help new children to settle in. The key person system is now effective and ensures that children's care and learning needs are met consistently. Staff are excellent role models when supporting children to play alongside or with their friends. They invite quieter children to join in with activities. There is plenty of praise and encouragement to give children the confidence to try new experiences. Children learn to recognise their emotions and to consider the impact of their actions on others. These approaches help to create a lovely atmosphere within the nursery, as children play and learn together.

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

• Leaders have engaged well with their local authority to meet the actions raised at the last inspection. They are building a strong staff team who have been highly involved in decisions about the development of the nursery. This has ensured that improvements made are understood and implemented effectively by the dedicated staff team.
• The new curriculum has been designed around the prime areas of learning. Staff have identified the key knowledge and skills children will be introduced to at different stages of their development. They carefully consider what they generally want children to achieve from the experiences provided. This is then adapted to ensure that individual children's next steps are catered for.
• Support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) is generally effective. Staff demonstrate that they know children with SEND very well and identify appropriate targets for their further development. Specialists have offered invaluable support to the staff to consider the best strategies to use. Leaders acknowledge that there is further work to do to ensure that all children with SEND make as much progress as possible.
• Children are given plenty of opportunities to learn new skills to help them to become increasingly independent. In the baby room, once children start to feel more secure around their key person, staff carefully support them to become more confident around other adults. Two-year-olds are encouraged to put on their own shoes and to manage cutlery at mealtimes. Pre-school children help to set the table and to chop their fruit.
• Interactions between staff and children are of a good standard. New vocabulary is introduced to children in a structured way. Older children are encouraged to respond to questions in longer sentences. However, some children's speech development is not consistently promoted as staff do not always consider the benefits of removing children's dummies as they play.
• Children's good health is promoted effectively. Children learn good hygiene practices; this includes a tooth brushing programme. The food provided is nutritious, with special dietary needs catered for appropriately. Children are reminded about staying hydrated on a warm day, and sun safety procedures are in place.
• The nursery recognises the important part it plays in the community. Children take part in fund raising activities to support local causes. They also enjoy regular visits in the 'Jelly bus' to places of interest like the farm and the library. This helps children to learn more about the world around them. Leaders also recognise the importance of providing experiences that children may not get at home.
• Parents and carers express their appreciation of the nursery. They value the feedback they receive, and report that they are clear about the focus for their children's learning. They describe effective arrangements for new starters, and for children as they move between rooms. Parents also report that they feel the nursery has prepared their children well for their transition to school.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• continue to develop support arrangements, including engagement with specialists, to ensure children with SEND make as much progress as possible
• work with staff to develop further strategies to reduce the use of dummies so that children's communication and language skills are promoted even more.