Kevin Pearce Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are inspired and thrive at this nursery. A welcoming and friendly atmosphere greets all children and their families. Staff provide a warm, caring environment for children, and show genuine care for their well-being. Children are very happy and show that they feel safe and emotionally secure. For example, they separate easily from their parents, and eagerly join in with a wide range of stimulating activities provided.

Children have access to the excellent outdoor learning environment at all times of the year. They explore the sensory gardens, balance beams and age-appropriate equipment to challenge their physical development. For example, children show excellent physical skills as they use their core strength to climb up hills using ropes. Staff provide exceptional opportunities for children to connect to the natural world, through the forest school area. Children develop an interest and understanding of the natural environment, and of how to care for it. For example, children learn about planting and growth, during gardening activities.

Children enjoy a well ordered and ambitious educational programme, which fully supports all areas of learning. Staff provide an excellent environment for children, offering them ample opportunities to explore and use their imagination. For example, children have great fun in the mud kitchen. They show delight as they add water to their mud soup and then paint the walls.

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

• The provision for supporting children with special educational needs and/or disabilities is outstanding. Staff promptly identify children's needs and support them exceptionally well. For example, staff set up small intervention groups in the outdoor learning pod, to support children's speech and language development. The special educational needs coordinator works together with other professionals, such as speech therapists, to devise strategies and targets. As a result, children make extremely good progress in their learning and development.
• Children display outstanding behaviour and attitudes to learning. They show an excellent understanding of rules and boundaries. Staff act as incredible role models and reinforce their expectations of children's behaviour exceedingly well. For example, they use visual prompts, such as picture cards, to help children to understand rules and routines. Staff consistently reinforce sharing and taking turns. These are highly effective, and children learn to regulate their behaviour from a very young age.
• Children develop excellent independence and self-help skills. They make independent choices about their learning from the wide range of high-quality resources and equipment on offer. Older children access snacks, meals and drinks independently, and manage their own personal hygiene, such as washing their hands. This means that children are completely prepared to meet their own needs when they move on to school.
• Partnerships with parents are very strong and well established. Feedback from parents is excellent. They say that staff go above and beyond to support them. Parents feel that their children have made significant progress in their learning. They feel listened to, valued and well informed about nursery life.
• There is outstanding support for developing children's communication and language skills. Staff provide a language-rich environment, and place high emphasis on ensuring that all children hear and develop a rich vocabulary. Children sing songs and read books as part of their daily routine. In addition, staff provide small, targeted group sessions to further assist those children who need support in this area.
• The nursery provides healthy and well-balanced, home-cooked meals, which are freshly prepared by the nursery cook each day. Staff support children to develop good health and well-being. For example, they teach children the importance of good oral health, and support them to brush their teeth as part of their daily routine.
• There is an exceptionally strong team spirit at the nursery. Staff report a high level of well-being. They say that they feel that they are valued and appreciated. Staff praise the way in which the management team promotes their personal development and gives them access to ample training opportunities. Staff are encouraged to take part in peer observations, with clear feedback and coaching to develop their practice.