Jordans Village Nursery School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children feel safe and secure at the nursery and develop strong bonds with staff. They demonstrate this on arrival, as they eagerly enter the gate and hang up their belongings so that they are ready to play. Children quickly snuggle in with their key person, looking intently at books and turning the pages. Children enjoy opportunities to visit the nursery with their parents before they start. They show their developing confidence as they say, 'Let's go and play outside!'

Children behave well. They demonstrate good listening and positive attitudes as staff play games with them. Younger children play cooperatively, solving problems and making balls roll down tubes. Older children concentrate well. They securely grip pens, write letters and then learn how to fold paper to place it in envelopes to post.

Children take part in a range of stimulating activities that staff plan for them. Overall, these help them to make good progress in their learning. For instance, children develop a secure understanding of the world around them. They learn to grow fruit and vegetables, such as tomatoes and apples. They pick their apples from the tree and learn to use tools, such as peelers and knives to prepare apple crumble. Children tell visitors that they enjoy cooking.

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

• Managers act with integrity and make the right choices for the right reasons. For instance, during the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic, they identify families needing extra support. They maintain close contact during periods when children do not attend. They share resources and provide guidance to help parents to support their children's individual needs.
• Staff ensure that the nursery is inclusive. They work with parents, professionals and other settings that children attend, to help them to gather information about children's needs. Parents says that their children have been welcomed into nursery and they feel included.
• The key-person system is effective. Staff know their key children well and they precisely plan their activities. Managers create systems to enable key people to share information about what they want children to learn. However, at times, staff do not deliver children's intended curriculum consistently well across the nursery. This is because their own subject knowledge is not secure or because they do not fully understand the information shared about what children need to learn and how to teach this.
• Staff help children to develop a good understanding of right and wrong. They actively involve children in setting their own rules for nursery. Children make rules such as 'be kind to our friends' and 'share the bikes'. They learn ways to take turns, such as by watching the sand timer as they wait for their go.
• Children develop good independence skills. Staff help younger children to recognise when they need to wipe their nose. They teach them where to find a tissue and where to put it when they are finished. Older children independently use the handwashing station to wash their hands. They squeeze the handwash, pump the water and help themselves to the paper towels.
• Staff help children to learn about people in their community. For instance, children learn about people who help them, such as the dentist or nurse. They go on outings in their local community and learn life skills, such as using money to buy ingredients from the local shop for their cooking.
• Managers develop positive partnerships with other settings. In preparation for their transition to school, children visit the local school during the summer term. Nursery staff accompany them as they explore their new environment and practise new routines, such as getting changed for exercise. Managers seek feedback from teachers after children transfer. They act on this well. For instance, school staff say that children would benefit from learning to use a knife and fork. Managers now ensure that children have the opportunity to practise this in the nursery.
• Parents are overwhelmingly positive about the service that the nursery provides. They particularly praise positive communications and key-person support. Parents say that they have a good understanding of what their children need to learn and how they can help them at home.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• strengthen staff support, developing their subject knowledge and helping them to have a consistently secure understanding of what children need to learn and how to implement this.