Jigsaw Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are happy and have a positive attitude to their learning. They receive good levels of care and build strong bonds with staff and their peers. The curriculum provided offers children challenge and stimulates their interests. During activities, children show good levels of enjoyment and curiosity. Children learn about the health benefits of vegetables from across the world. They examine, smell and taste real fruit and vegetables, such as avocado, plantain, squash, sprouts and yam. This helps children to learn about the natural world and where food comes from.

Younger children are motivated learners who enjoy playing in the safe and stimulating environment. They are particularly focused during singing sessions, where they see and use puppets. Their knowledge of animals and the sounds which they make is explored as they listen to 'Old MacDonald Had a Farm'. This helps them to develop their language and their small muscles as they access the puppets. Staff have high expectations for all children. Children of all ages respond positively to staff and each other. They show a good understanding of the boundaries which are set. For example, children are aware of the importance of having 'kind hands' and not running around inside. Children's behaviour is good.

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

• Children's interests are at the centre of the planning for children's learning. Staff use information gathered from observations to plan meaningful activities that reflect children's interests effectively. Children take part in a good balance of adult-led and child-initiated activities. This supports them to continually develop in all areas of learning.
• Staff promote children's understanding of the natural world effectively. They learn about how things grow as they create hanging flower baskets. Older children learn about volcanos and dinosaurs. Their vocabulary is extended as they learn new words, such as 'lava', and are introduced to dinosaur names.
• There are plenty of opportunities for children to express their creativity. They access a wide range of interesting resources to allow them to use their imagination and creativity throughout the day. For instance, younger children enjoy using the musical instruments to sing along to familiar Christmas songs. Meanwhile, older children become engrossed in using small-world resources and their imagination to recreate situations from their favourite story 'Big Red Bath'.
• Children take part in Spanish classes and learn to count to 10 in Spanish. However, staff have not fully considered the needs of children who are bilingual and speak English as an additional language. They provide children with limited opportunities to see and use their home languages within the setting.
• Staff help children to develop a love of books. Young children have tremendous fun and ample space to move around and re-enact a bear hunt, using their senses and imaginations to explore mud and shaving foam on their journey.
• Children have very good opportunities to learn about a healthy lifestyle. They take part in effective handwashing routines and learn about oral hygiene through toothbrushing at mealtimes. However, older children have limited opportunities to be independent during mealtimes.
• Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are supported well by staff. Staff communicate regularly with parents and work closely with the special educational needs coordinator and other professionals. They implement appropriate strategies to support children's care and learning effectively. They introduce 'attention buckets' to help children learn how to focus their attention. This positive partnership working helps staff to promote positive outcomes for children.
• The manager ensures staff's ongoing professional development is promoted as they receive training, supervision and appraisals, which positively impacts on the children. Staff complete various courses, such as courses on children's communication and language, behaviour management and special educational needs.
• Questionnaires and personal testimonies evidence that parents appreciate the care and education provided by staff. Parents are encouraged to be involved in their children's learning, for instance through daily discussion and comments on an online app. This promotes consistency across the setting and home.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• provide meaningful opportunities for children to hear and use their home languages
• maximise opportunities for older children to develop their independence during mealtimes.