King David Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children arrive happily and with confidence into the nursery. They greet staff with cuddles and excitedly share stories from home. Children have secure relationships with their key person and show bonds with their peers. They talk to each other and play cooperatively. Children's communication and language skills are good. They sit outside in the hut and retell their favourite stories. Additionally, younger children and babies join in with familiar songs and fill in the missing words as staff sing to them. Babies giggle and babble throughout their play. They are extremely content and enjoy warm interactions from the staff that care for them.

All children benefit from a range of experiences in the broad curriculum that is planned for them. They make good progress from the start and are supported to catch up if any delays in development are spotted. In the main, staff effectively support children's individual needs and interests during their teaching. Children behave well throughout the day and follow daily routines and self-care tasks with ease. They push each other around the outdoor playground on bicycles and help negotiate space together. Children love spending time in the garden, where they climb, run and make cakes in the mud kitchen. They have well-developed physical skills.

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

• Although the ongoing assessment of children is effective and summaries of learning are considered regularly, the progress check for children aged between two and three years is not consistently documented. This is a requirement for all early years settings. This said, gaps in learning are being identified and responded to in a timely manner to ensure children continue to make progress.
• Leaders have clear plans for all children in the nursery and they, mostly, help staff improve. However, supervision and coaching systems are not consistently effective in identifying the areas where staff need the most support in their knowledge and skills. For example, some staff ask children a number of consecutive questions they do not yet understand. Additionally, children are sometimes prompted to come away from an activity they are enjoying to take part in an adult-led game. Sometimes, children's learning is interrupted, as staff are not fully aware of how to adapt and use their skills to promote the best outcomes for all.
• Parents comment highly on the care and education their children receive. They are well informed about what their children do each day and how far their progress has come. However, some parents are not informed about what they can do to continue their children's learning at home. This said, parents know their child's key person and how to ask about developmental achievements or share information from home.
• Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are closely monitored. This supports children to keep reaching their goals. Leaders and staff work in liaison with external professionals to provide targeted support plans for children. As a result, children with SEND are happy, thriving and fully integrated into the nursery.
• Children develop independence skills from a young age and like to take ownership of some daily jobs. For example, young children like to reach up and ring the wind chimes, signalling tidy-up time. Older children learn how to listen for longer periods of time and persevere in the games they play. This helps them prepare for their move to pre-school.
• Sequenced learning is clear throughout the nursery as children build on what they have previously learned. For example, babies enjoy nursery rhymes chosen during a 'What's in the box?' activity. As children move into the next room, they practise and enhance these songs with new actions and words. As children reach the oldest room, they know a vast range of songs and actions. Furthermore, these songs are linked to stories and tales. Children's literacy is well supported.
• Children benefit from learning about the importance of a healthy lifestyle. They enjoy balanced, nutritious meals and snacks and understand the need to wash their hands and wipe their own noses.