Jesters Nursery Childcare

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are at the centre of practice at this inspiring nursery. Following periods of absence, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, children's emotional needs have been prioritised on their return to the nursery. Staff continue to recognise that children may still need sensitive reassurance to build their confidence and feel secure. This approach underpins all their interactions.

The environment is carefully organised to be rich in possibilities for children to explore and be curious. They are engaged and engrossed, and they enthusiastically share what they have learned. For example, older children eagerly show the inspector what honeycomb looks like through a magnifying glass and remember that it comes from bees.

All children display high levels of independence. They are encouraged to make choices, which ensures that their voices are heard and respected. Babies point to the bib they want to wear, and toddlers persevere when trying to dress a doll. They are determined to do it by themselves and smile at their achievements.

Children's curiosity develops even further when outdoors in all weathers. They use their mathematical knowledge and vocabulary in a practical way as they confidently jump in muddy puddles. For example, they talk expressively about who makes the 'biggest' splash and which splash goes the 'highest'. This helps them to appreciate how mathematics fits into the real world. Babies learn the effects of the rain on play dough. Words such as 'squelchy' and 'sticky' cement their understanding and provide interesting new vocabulary.

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

• The highly dedicated members of the leadership team work extremely well together and are committed to creating an environment where staff and children feel exceptionally valued. They have successfully established a nursery where children's needs are prioritised while still ensuring that staff feel supported. This results in staff taking pride in their work and being continually motivated to raise the quality of their teaching even higher.
• Staff expertly extend each child's thinking, which ignites their spark to learn more. For instance, older children are fascinated to explore with magnets around the room. They are deeply engaged in testing which objects are made of metal. Staff respond by providing suggestions and encouragement, which builds on children's existing enthusiasm to discover new ideas. Children excitedly show their friends what they have discovered and encourage others to keep looking. They hear and begin to use new words, such as 'attract' and 'magnetic'.
• The firmly embedded key-person approach helps to establish an excellent foundation for children to feel secure and nurtured. Whenever possible, the child's key person will greet them on arrival and take responsibility for their care needs. This helps to contribute to an extremely positive start to each child's day. Special bonding times are personalised, such as nappy changing. This builds on the already strong connection between children and their key person.
• The outdoor area provides an inviting, safe environment where children hugely benefit from exploring a wide range of attention-grabbing natural materials and resources. Children negotiate together to work out the best way to angle the guttering so that the water will pour into the tray, and they celebrate as they challenge themselves on the climbing wall.
• Children thoroughly enjoy the freedom to choose whether to play indoors or outside. They competently find their own rain suits and wellies and are encouraged to try to put these on themselves. This equips them with meaningful self-help skills. Staff use their initiative to provide appropriate levels of supervision at all times.
• Key persons know their key children exceptionally well. They clearly demonstrate how they focus and adapt their teaching to promote children's learning and development. They expertly recognise where children need extra support. Parents are actively involved and are informed how they can complement their children's learning at home. This contributes to all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, making rapid progress.
• Parents speak incredibly warmly of the nursery and recommend it to their friends. They are extremely pleased with the progress their children make and appreciate receiving ideas about how they can support their children's learning. They are reassured by the excellent relationship their children have with their key person.
• The staff team works exceedingly well to forge effective working relationships with schools the children are due to attend. Staff have taken on board the teacher's suggestions to prepare children for their next stage of learning. For example, mini physical education lessons have been introduced to help children get used to changing their clothes by themselves.