Jemima House Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children settle well into the setting as staff gather useful information from parents when children start. Children quickly develop a secure relationship with their key person. Staff greet children warmly. They are sensitive to children's needs and feelings. Children approach staff for reassurance and cuddles. Staff follow a flexible routine. This helps children feel secure. Staff support children to become independent in their personal care. Children use cutlery to feed themselves and pour their own drinks at mealtimes. Children enjoy meals as social occasions. Staff provide freshly prepared, healthy meals, and children often ask for second helpings.

Staff model positive behaviour. They help children to understand their feelings and how to manage their behaviour. Staff provide opportunities for children of different ages to socialise with each other outside. Children play happily together. They remind each other to share toys. Staff know the children well. They assess children's development and find out about their interests. They use spontaneous experiences, such as discovering a frog or a ladybird, to enhance children's learning. This helps to build children's wonder of the world around them. Staff provide strong support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), who make good progress with their learning and development.

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

• Staff keep children safe and secure in the setting. They assess and manage risks, ensuring children can safely play and explore. Staff organise the environment to provide a range of learning opportunities. They ensure there is enough space for babies who are learning to walk to develop their skills. Staff have created a separate sensory area. They use this area to help children learn how to recognise and manage their emotions effectively.
• Children's physical development is well supported by staff. Some pre-school children choose to participate in morning physical activities that refine their physical development. Toddlers climb the apparatus indoors, and outside, children use ride-on toys. Staff support children's coordination and fine motor skills through creative activities. Children use scissors and glue to build rockets. They recycle unwanted packaging and paint it so they can use it as a landscape for the toy dinosaurs.
• Staff support children's communication development effectively. Staff give children time to talk about their experiences. They listen carefully and engage in enjoyable conversations with children. Staff introduce new vocabulary. They check that children understand the meaning of words such as 'bog' and 'clambered'. Children across all rooms enjoy cuddling up with staff to read stories. Staff give children in the toddler room props to engage them in group singing. Children enthusiastically join in.
• There are high-quality interactions between all staff and children across the setting. Staff take opportunities to explain the routine to children. They discuss strategies that children can use to keep themselves safe. Staff use effective questioning to help children decide how to build towers and put puzzles together. However, sometimes, staff do not fully consider what they want children to learn. This means that occasionally, activities are not implemented effectively to promote children's deeper learning.
• There are very positive relationships with parents. Parents comment on the 'unwavering dedication and support' from staff who 'go above and beyond' to support their children. Parents appreciate the communication they receive from their child's key person about their learning and development. They are pleased with the support their children receive when they move up to the next room in the setting. Staff share information with parents and local schools to help children make the transition to school.
• Leaders have a reflective approach to developing their provision. They are passionate about providing high-quality care and education. Leaders have developed an action plan to continually improve the setting. They are planning on further developing their curriculum and improving the outside area. Leaders support staff to access training. However, staff development is not always systematically supported. This means that staff do not always access training opportunities that support their individual needs.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• develop a systematic and individualised approach to staff's continuous professional development to support the improvement of teaching and implementation of the curriculum.