Kate Greenaway Nursery School and Children's Centre

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Staff enthusiastically greet children, babies and parents when they arrive. Parents and children enjoy the walk through the delightful and serene gardens to the playrooms. Staff provide a nurturing and stimulating environment. Staff have high expectations of children. They support babies to communicate and help to develop their language skills. For example, babies gaze, make facial expressions and use gestures to communicate. Staff encourage babies to use single words and understand simple instructions. Children are well behaved and kind to each other.

Babies and children develop a sense of self as they interact with each other and staff. They learn about the wider world, for example, they celebrate different festivals. They taste new foods and handle cultural artefacts made by different communities. Staff invite all parents to share their ways of life and cultures to help enrich the experiences children are offered. Children negotiate space and obstacles safely, taking care not to bump into their friends. They walk, run and ride wheeled toys in the well-resourced garden. Babies explore their surroundings such as the sandpit, and they learn through their senses as they touch and handle the sand. Babies have lots of opportunities to feed themselves. They use their fine and gross motor skills as they develop confidence and independence.

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

• Overall, staff have a good understanding of the curriculum and implement learning well. However, staff's interactions with children are not always consistent to ensure that children gain the most from their learning opportunities.
• Leaders and staff support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities effectively. Children are supported to make good progress from their individual starting points. Staff create a supportive and inclusive environment. Staff observe any emerging concerns and respond quickly, working with parents and other professionals.
• Partnerships with parents are strong and respectful. Staff communicate well and keep parents updated about their child's development and next steps in learning. Parents find the online parents' platform informative. They enjoy receiving regular written updates and photos of their children at play. Staff provide regular termly meetings with parents to discuss progress.
• Leaders use additional funding well to purchase resources for all children to benefit from, for example sensory toys to help support critical brain development. Children enjoy trips to the farm to enrich their learning outside of their daily experiences. Funding is also used to further train staff and develop their knowledge of childcare.
• In the main, leadership and management are good. However, leaders have not followed the correct process for notifying Ofsted of changes to the legal governance of the setting. Despite this, secure recruitment processes are in place to ensure the suitability of all adults who work with children.
• Young children learn good hygiene routines to help prepare them for their eventual move on to school. They wash their hands before and after eating. Staff attend to children's care needs effectively.
• Leaders support staff well. They carry out regular supervisions and staff meetings. Staff are offered opportunities to undertake training to support their continuous professional development and well-being. For example, staff have recently completed yoga and physical development workshops. The skills they gain are used to offer children yoga and physical exercise sessions and are adapted for adults as well.
• Staff offer children healthy, nutritious meals. Children enjoy the structure and routines of mealtimes throughout the day. They develop their social and emotional skills as they talk to each other and form friendships. They have good opportunities to make decisions about the food they eat and learn about the importance of healthy eating.
• Babies explore the garden and look out for a small bird they see flying past. Staff follow children's interests and talk to them about different animal pictures displayed on the wall. This all supports their growing range of vocabulary, curiosity and imagination.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• further develop staff's understanding of the curriculum to ensure consistency in the delivery of how staff support children's learning.