Jigsaw Nursery School Pinner

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Staff ensure that the educational programme is exciting and challenging for children. Children eagerly approach staff to ask if it is their turn to watch the hatching of duck eggs. They are keen to share what they know about keeping the ducklings warm and how they are going to take it in turns to give them food and water and watch them grow. Children demonstrate what they have learned by reminding each other not to get too close and not to tap the glass as this may scare the ducklings.

Younger children come together to join in singing. They benefit from attentive staff who encourage them to explore a range of sensory experiences by tapping, squeezing or shaking the resources to get a response.

Children form warm relationships with staff who get to know them and their families extremely well. Activities are planned around children's interests, with key persons ensuring that all staff have some knowledge of children's individual next steps. Behaviour is good as staff have high expectations and children are reminded of the 'golden rules'.

Staff work in partnership with parents and professionals to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Local referral procedures are followed to promptly request additional support. Children with individual therapy or care needs have strategies incorporated into planned activities to ensure they make progress.

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

• Leaders and managers focus the setting's ambitious curriculum on four key areas. The aims, which are used across all rooms in the setting, are to develop children's language and communication, personal confidence and interactions, physical skills and independence. However, expectations for independence are not consistent, as on occasion, some staff put on older children's coats and do not give children the time required to complete tasks for themselves.
• Staff confidently share how they observe children and use the information to track children's development. Key persons upload observations of children onto the online app to track their progress and identify individual next steps for development. Staff use their knowledge of their key children's interests to creatively plan activities. Staff share how they model what they want children to learn, teach in small groups and provide opportunities for children to practise their skills by repeating planned activities.
• Strong relationships are developed with children. Parents share information with key persons, who use what they know about children's interests to build relationships. For example, young children use picture cards to request favourite songs. Staff promptly respond and build children's confidence by praising their participation.
• Staff build toddlers' vocabularies by narrating what they are doing. They introduce and model the use of new words. Staff use information, shared by parents, about activities and events children have experienced, to pose questions, develop children's thinking and extend conversations. Children become confident communicators as they know they can share their thoughts and ideas.
• Older children confidently approach new adults. They request explanations of what the adult is doing and why they have visited their nursery. They discuss what they like to do in nursery and the friends they play with. Children maintain their focus on activities, offering explanations as to why they selected and used the resources. For example, children state, 'red is my favourite colour,' or 'my mum likes yellow and this is a picture for her'. Lovely conversations take place between staff and children. For example, children discuss their recent holiday and the activities they enjoyed with their family.
• Staff plan and provide activities for physical movement outside in the garden. Children enjoy riding bicycles and tricycles, quickly manoeuvring around the large space. However, the use of the space is not always carefully thought through. During the inspection, some children acted out a familiar story narrated by staff on a tablet. However, when children using the bicycles rode over to join in, some children who were 'stomping through the long grass' had their movements restricted.
• Parents explain how they are so happy with the nursery, and they have used it for all their children. They find staff extremely helpful and supportive of them as parents. Parents enjoy the new opportunities to go into the setting for planned stay-and-play sessions or to participate in regular parents' evenings. Parents feel children make good progress, are kept safe and secure and are ready for the next stage of learning when they move on to school.
• Since the last inspection, leaders say how all staff have worked incredibly hard to address the weaknesses identified. Leaders have sought support and guidance from a number of organisations, including local early years advisers. Staff have regular supervision and access to training, both online and face to face. Leaders provide feedback on staff's interactions with children through regular peer-on-peer observations.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• ensure that opportunities to encourage children's independence are consistent throughout their everyday activities and routines
• ensure that outdoor activities include sufficient space for children's free movement.