Kinderzimmer Muswell Hill

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children arrive at this nursery enthusiastic and eager to learn. Staff welcome them warmly as they enter. Children demonstrate that they feel safe and secure. Staff have high expectations for building children's confidence and independence. Children develop good relationships with their key person and learn how to make good friends. Children's behaviour is good. Staff consistently use praise and encouragement to support children's behaviour. Children are encouraged to share and take turns as they play. Older children listen and follow instructions as they learn to adhere to the simple rules that keep them safe.

Babies have independence and freedom to explore, which gives them a sense of ownership in what they can do and builds their confidence well. Staff offer a good continuity of care to babies. They mirror babies' individual routines from home, and consistent adults carry out intimate care routines to give babies an added sense of security. Children enjoy a wide range of activities that support sensory exploration and give them opportunities to make marks. Babies use hand-sized chalks, and toddlers enjoy dough activities, with staff encouraging them to push, pull, stretch and roll the dough. Children develop better control over their arm, hand and finger muscles. This helps them as they learn to use pencils and crayons for drawing and writing. All children make good progress in their learning, given their starting points.

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

• The manager and staff create a curriculum with a clear intent. Staff work together to create an environment where children feel safe to play. Staff understand that this helps children to feel confident and happy. Children are relaxed and ready to learn.
• Staff understand that it is important for children to lead a healthy lifestyle. They provide children with a nutritious selection of foods to choose from. Children learn that certain foods are good for them and make healthy choices. They understand how to keep their teeth clean.
• Parents report that teaching is of good quality. They talk about what their children have learned since starting at the nursery. Managers recognise that communication with parents is very important. They constantly review how information is given to parents. This includes regular questionnaires. Managers are planning to do workshops for parents to further help them extend children's learning at home.
• Staff encourage children to be physically active. Younger children join in action rhymes and move scarves to the sound of music. Older children go on walks in the community, helping to develop their stamina.
• Children gain good independence skills. Older children take on roles, such as helping to lay the table at mealtimes and snack times. All children learn how to put on their coats and shoes. They help to tidy away at the end of play sessions.
• Staff working with the older children support their mathematics development effectively. They count from one to five, and staff reinforce this learning by asking children to show this by finger counting. Staff model mathematical language well and provide ample resources and opportunities for counting and visually recognising numbers.
• Staff support children's literacy development. Children of all ages love to listen to staff read. Older children excitedly predict what might happen next as they become immersed in the plot of a familiar story. Babies snuggle on staff's laps as they lift the flaps and eagerly anticipate turning the pages. They develop important literacy skills that prepare them for their future learning.
• Children's language is developing well. Staff encourage the children to join in with rhymes and songs. However, sometimes, staff do not make the most of opportunities that arise to challenge and extend children's learning. For example, staff do not extend children's language or vocabulary as fully as possible throughout the day. They do not make consistently full use of opportunities to introduce new words or help children build sentences so they make the best possible progress.
• The manager provides ongoing training and supervision for staff and promptly identifies any weaknesses in practice. However, there is scope for further improvement in helping staff to gain an even better understanding of how to support children's learning.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• make the most of opportunities that arise to extend and challenge children's learning at the highest level
• focus opportunities for staff's professional development more sharply on providing staff with clear targets that will enable them to provide the highest level of education to children.