Jolly Tots Pre-School Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children arrive happy and eager to begin their day. They are greeted by friendly and cheerful staff, who help them to feel safe and secure in this homely and inviting nursery. Children have secure attachments with staff and seek them out to join in with their play. Staff are positive role models and have high expectations for all children. They skilfully listen to and extend children's thinking and learning as they play. For example, as children play with dinosaurs outside, staff successfully support their mathematical understanding. They introduce concepts such as shape, size, measure and counting.

Children show positive attitudes towards their learning. They have access to a wide range of experiences that are stimulating and help them to make progress. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are identified quickly and support is put in place. The manager and staff are knowledgeable and work closely with parents and outside agencies to get children the help that they need. They use additional funding successfully, for example, to provide children with the one- to-one help that they need. Children are well behaved and polite. Staff teach them about kindness, consideration and respect for others and living things. Children enjoy growing their own food in the kitchen garden and learn about life cycles as they watch caterpillars change into butterflies.

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

• The curriculum is well planned and sequenced. Staff focus on helping children to acquire and master skills that they will need for the future. They are aware of the overall curriculum intent for the setting and how this links to the experiences they provide for children.
• Staff know the children they care for well and can talk about children's personalities, interests and their development. They regularly observe children as they play and assess their learning. Staff identify any gaps in children's learning and support children to make progress in these areas through the experiences they offer.
• Children's communication and language skills are supported well. Staff communicate with babies at their level. They use simple language, such as naming animals in a book and making the sounds. Toddlers join in with familiar songs and actions. Staff are animated as they sing and introduce concepts, such as 'loud, quiet, fast' and 'slow'. This helps to engage children and make singing sessions exciting.
• Staff skilfully support older children to extend their learning and thinking. Children explore shadows in the garden. Staff help them to learn about light and dark. They introduce new words and concepts, such as 'sharp, clear, blurry, soft' and 'fuzzy', as children move objects closer and further away as they examine what happens to the shadow.
• Some group activities and routines are not planned well enough to support children's learning to the highest level. For example, whole-group story sessions for older children are interrupted frequently. This does not allow children to develop their concentration and listening skills fully.
• There is a focus on children's good health and promoting healthy lifestyles throughout the nursery. Children enjoy a range of home-cooked and nutritionally balanced meals and snacks. They learn about good hygiene practices, including the importance of good oral health.
• Children's transitions into and through nursery are effective. Staff successfully help new children to settle quickly and offer them lots of comfort and affection. As children move rooms, staff share a range of information about children, including their likes, dislikes, interests and where they are in their development. This makes transitions seamless and helps children to settle.
• Partnerships with parents are strong. Staff regularly share updates with parents about their children's day and what they are learning. Successful strategies, such as a closed social media page and asking about children's home lives, help staff to extend children's interests at nursery.
• The nursery is well established in the community and involved in village life. For example, children take part in celebrations and events, such as an annual scarecrow festival. Children enjoy visiting different places around the village as they learn about the natural world and different people and communities.
• The manager involves parents, children and staff when reflecting on the setting and making improvements. She has a clear and concise action plan in place to develop the setting further.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• review the use of whole-group activities, so that the experiences provided promote children's engagement and focus to the highest level.