Just Imagine Day Nursery - Maldon

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Staff provide a warm, welcoming and inviting space. Children thoroughly enjoy their time at the nursery. They settle quickly and form strong, caring bonds with staff. Staff create an extremely enabling environment that supports children to develop their independence, creativity and confidence. Children engage in positive social interactions with each other, sharing, taking turns and showing care and concern for each other's feelings. Staff immerse themselves in children's play. They bring learning to life for children. This means children show high levels of engagement, and listening and attention skills. Staff are positive role models. They treat the children with respect and kindness. Staff recognise how children might be feeling and help them to understand their emotions. They help children regulate and build on their self-esteem and sense of self. Children develop a deep sense of belonging and develop sound relationships with their peers. They confidently say goodbye to each other when leaving an activity.

Overall, staff promote children's communication and language well. They routinely add new words into their vocabulary, such as 'prescribe' and 'prevent'. Staff model how to use these words in context and children quickly learn the meanings and use them in their play. Children are confident communicators. They confidently describe the purpose of a sand timer and explain that 'sharing is caring'. Children's independence is fostered well, they help to tidy up, serve themselves dinner and put on their own coats. Staff bring learning to life. Children explore the cardboard boxes, twigs and straw as they follow and recall the story of the 'Three Little Pigs'.

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

• Leaders create and implement an ambitious curriculum that supports children's independence, confidence and love of learning. Leaders carefully consider what children need to learn and why. The curriculum builds on children's interests and prior knowledge, ensuring they make good progress from their individual starting points.
• Leaders are passionate and dedicated to their roles. They place staff well-being as a high priority. Leaders are thoughtful and considerate, ensuring staff feel valued, listened to and supported. Staff describe leaders as kind, approachable and dedicated to their happiness at work. Regular opportunities for professional development, alongside a culture of care and respect, mean staff are motivated and committed to giving their best for children.
• Staff get to know children well and understand their needs, interests and personalities. They carefully tailor learning to children's individual needs and monitor this to ensure they are making good progress. For example, staff create a doctor's role play scenario with the children to support them with experiences outside of nursery.
• Pre-school staff are highly skilled at adapting their practice in the moment to extend learning. They observe children closely and respond with well-chosen questions and challenges. For example, during a weighing activity, staff encourage children to estimate, predict and test their ideas. Children learn new vocabulary, such as 'float' and 'weigh'. They show high levels of concentration and persistence. However, staff working with younger children are less confident in responding to children's emerging thinking, curiosity and interests. For example, during story time when children ask questions about the book, staff continue reading and do not respond to children's ideas in the moment. This means that opportunities to extend children's learning are missed. Therefore, children do not have every opportunity to excel in their learning and development.
• Partnerships with parents are strong. Staff support parents effectively to contribute to children's learning at nursery and at home. Parents comment how well informed they are about their children's nursery days and progress, and how reassured this makes them feel.
• Leaders carefully evaluate the individual needs of children and make highly effective use of additional funding. They thoughtfully invest in extra resources that enrich children's learning experiences and provide practical support, such as school uniforms, to ensure children are well prepared and confident as they transition to school.
• Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are supported effectively. Any delays are identified promptly, and timely, targeted support is put in place to help children make good progress. Strong partnerships with parents and external professionals ensure that each child's individual needs are consistently met.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support staff in the toddler room to consistently extend children's learning, thinking and interests so that all children make the best possible progress.