Jingle Jungle Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Staff create a warm and welcoming environment to help children to feel happy and secure. They provide activities that are inviting and of interest to children. Most children choose activities and settle quickly. Some children who are new to the setting take longer to settle. During this time, staff support new parents with the morning routine and reassure children.

Managers have built a well-designed curriculum that is ambitious for all children. They plan age-appropriate activities that extend on what they know children can already do. Staff successfully implement the curriculum. Younger children play with toy animals, and staff support them to name the animals and make animal sounds. Older children practise using scissors, such as they cut out different shapes to make animal faces. Staff talk to children about the key features that animals have. Children make good progress and build on their prior knowledge.

Staff support and encourage children when they find activities more difficult. Children try to use tweezers to complete a colour-sorting activity. Staff model how to use the tweezers. Children sit with staff and practise using the tweezers for long periods of time. They are proud when they complete the activity and share their achievements with staff. Staff praise children for their effort and determination.

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

• Most children who attend the nursery speak English as an additional language. Staff create a language-rich environment to support all children. They plan which key vocabulary they would like children to learn next. For example, when children play with water, staff repeat words such as 'splash' and 'pour' while they model playing. Children repeat after them and begin to use the words in the right context.
• Managers and staff give parents and children clear messages to support their understanding of healthy eating. Managers invite parents to attend workshops about healthy foods and foods they should limit. They provide information and displays that are visual. Staff talk to children about fruit and vegetables at mealtimes and describe the benefits of healthy foods. As a result, families understand the regular messages, and children bring healthy lunches from home.
• Staff promote the development of children's independence skills. Children participate well in self-care routines. They wash their hands after going to the toilet and before mealtimes. Staff talk to children who are toilet training about how to undress and dress themselves. Mealtime routines are very successful, and children practise their independence well.
• Managers work well with external agencies. They have responded well to feedback about dental hygiene in the local community. Staff have attended dental health awareness training on oral health and healthy eating. However, at times, staff do not use the training materials and resources effectively. This can affect the quality of teaching about oral health and toothbrushing.
• Key persons have a strong knowledge of children. They observe, assess and plan activities to develop children's skills. With guidance from staff, children learn how to hold and aim spray bottles. They squeeze the trigger to create group artwork. This helps children to improve their coordination and manual dexterity skills.
• Parents are very positive about the care and learning experiences their children receive. They comment on how much progress their children have made, especially in their language skills. Parents are pleased with the ideas that staff provide them with when preparing children for school. Parents are beginning to use the new learning app to help them to support their children's learning at home.
• In general, children behave well. Staff encourage children to share and use good manners. However, on some occasions, staff do not set clear rules and boundaries. During small-group and structured activities, children become distracted as staff stop the activities to manage children's behaviour. This means that other children have to wait for staff to return and, at times, they lose interest and move away.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support staff to reflect on the training they attend and evaluate the impact on children
• ensure that staff consistently help children to understand expectations for their behaviour, such as by establishing clear rules and boundaries.