Jingle Bell House

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are highly motivated and clearly relish their time in the nursery. Management warmly greet the children and their families as they arrive. Children's key person collects them and takes them to their playroom. Parents say that their children get excited and recognise when they are arriving. All staff and management know the children exceptionally well. They are confident to talk to parents about children's excellent progress, and they work closely together to effectively support children, for example, with weaning off dummies and potty training.

The highly skilled staff provide an ambitious curriculum that meets the needs of all children. Management check in daily with staff to make sure that the plans for the day take into account each child's uniqueness and are tailored to meet their next steps in learning. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are exceptionally well catered for. Staff place a high emphasis on working with other professionals to make sure that children get the targeted support they need.

There is an extremely calm atmosphere throughout the nursery. Children are busy and occupied, and staff interaction is of a high quality. Children behave exceptionally well and show respect to their friends.

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

• The management team is extremely enthusiastic and exceptionally supportive of the staff. They have daily meetings to make sure that staff are very well prepared for the day. Staff have regular team meetings where they talk about any new ideas that they have. Staff report that management are particularly good at supporting their well-being. Parents and staff can nominate individual staff members for employee of the month, where their achievements are celebrated.
• Staff build very strong relationships with parents and carers. They invite them to share family celebrations. For example, families and staff members share their knowledge of the festivals that they celebrate, such as Diwali, Rio Carnival and Chinese Moon Festival. These provide excellent opportunities for children to learn first hand how various cultures have different celebrations, and help children to learn to respect and value others. Parents report that there is excellent communication from the nursery and that they feel very involved in their child's learning. They feel that the key persons go over and above to make sure that their children make the best possible progress.
• Staff place a high emphasis on preparing children for school. The nursery receives feedback from local schools about children who have moved from the nursery and how they were exceptionally well prepared for the transition to school. Children are confident, independent learners and are able to communicate their needs extremely well.
• The highly skilled staff are particularly good at extending children's learning through well-planned activities. For example, children enjoy the story about the gingerbread man. They make their own gingerbread figures. Babies and toddlers thoroughly enjoy listening to stories, and staff use props to support their interest and engagement. There are high-quality interactions between staff and children throughout the nursery.
• There are exceptionally good routines to support children's health and well-being. Staff provide respectful care. They ask children if they can change their nappy, or help them to blow their nose and dispose of the tissue appropriately. Staff follow children's home routines with regards to babies' feeding and sleep routines. They treat each child as an individual and meet their needs effectively.