Just Imagine...Day Nursery & Out Of School Club

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children receive a friendly and warm welcome from staff, with whom they have formed secure bonds. Children settle into self-chosen play in an environment that is inviting and well planned. They are happy and enjoy their time at the nursery. Children are confident and demonstrate that they feel secure and safe. They are keen to speak to visitors and proudly show them their creations. Children behave well. They have formed good friendships and are kind to each other. For example, the pre-school children start a game of hide and seek, harmoniously deciding among themselves whose turn it is to count.

Children benefit from a well-thought-out and ambitious curriculum that builds on what they already know and can do. Staff have high expectations of the children and know them and their individual needs well. Children's interests, and their parents' suggestions, are considered when activities are planned. This helps children to make good progress in their learning and development, and prepares them for their next stage of learning.

Children gain an understanding of their local community and the wider world. They visit the local retirement home to deliver gifts they have made for the residents. Children donate items and make them into hampers to deliver to people nearby. This teaches them about helping others.

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

• Children have ample opportunity to choose books to look at independently or with staff. Staff readily join them to read the books they have chosen. Staff introduce books that link to activities or children's interests. For example, after giving the pet tortoise a bath, a story is shared about a tortoise. This helps children develop a love of stories and books.
• Children are well supported in learning to be independent. At snack time, older children pour their own drinks and self-select resources during their play. Younger children help to tidy up and find their bags when getting their clothes changed. Staff ask children if they would like help with tasks before they support them. This gives children the opportunity to persevere with tasks independently if they wish.
• Overall, staff interactions during play help to promote children's communication and language skills. Children are encouraged to share their ideas and communicate with each other. In the older children's rooms, new words are introduced and their meaning explained to the children. In the younger children's rooms, staff sing songs and rhymes with the children and use single words during their play. However, staff who work with younger children do not always promote language development as well as possible. For example, they do not add more words to what the children say or offer a commentary to their play to introduce new language.
• Staff work closely with other agencies to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. They liaise with parents to set targets for children to work towards, and seek extra help and support for them. Children's individual needs are supported, and adaptations are made to ensure all children can access all aspects of the curriculum.
• The staff are very reflective. They use evaluation effectively to make improvements to the nursery provision. For example, staff have recently made changes to the lunchtime routines to enhance the experience for the children. They have also improved the arrangements for children with food allergies to help ensure their safety.
• Relationships with parents are positive. Parents report that they are well supported by the staff team, and their children are happy to come to the nursery. Parents' views are sought and action is taken based on these views, to improve the service provided. Staff engage with parents about their children's learning and development. This helps to establish a consistent approach to supporting children's learning. Parents report that their children have made progress in their learning and development since attending the setting.
• Staff benefit from a supportive and encouraging manager. They receive targeted training and ongoing professional development opportunities. Staff morale is high and teamwork is effective. This means that children are cared for by happy and motivated staff.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support staff to make the most of their interactions with younger children, to progress their speech and language skills further.