Kings Burrow Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children have strong bonds with their key person, as well as the other adults in the nursery. This helps children to feel safe and settled. Staff are quick to provide cuddles and reassurance to children when it is needed, such as when they first wake from their naps.

Staff promote an ethos of nurturing, growing and outdoor learning. They offer children a range of outdoor activities, such as visits to the nature garden. This provides children with a space to explore and be inquisitive about the world around them.

Children understand staff's high expectations for their behaviour and confidently follow the rules. For example, they demonstrate that they know how to safely walk to the different outdoor play areas. Children learn, with support from staff, how to develop friendships and different ways to be kind. Staff prepare interesting activities to help children develop their understanding further. For example, children create a friendship potion using a range of ingredients that represent different ways to be kind. They eagerly add the different ingredients and comment that they can give their friends 'hugs or high fives'.

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

• The management team has developed a curriculum that builds on what children know and can do. It focuses on the setting's aims, which encourages children to explore, investigate and be challenged. However, on occasion, staff are unclear on the intent of the curriculum. As a result, the learning aims for children are not always consistent.
• Children are curious and keen learners. Staff know them well and adapt their activities to provide children with further challenge. For example, staff support older children to learn about size and other mathematical concepts as they play with colanders and bowls. This helps children to make good progress in their learning and development.
• Staff confirm that there are effective supervisions in place that support their well-being and ensure their workload is not overwhelming. They feel supported by leaders, as well as by other staff. These supervisions, alongside regular observations, help the management team to have a good oversight of the nursery. This ensures that managers know their strengths and the areas they would like to develop further.
• The management team values professional development. The team currently has a particular focus on developing the outdoor learning provision. This provides children with the opportunity to explore the nature garden even further.
• There is a strong emphasis on developing children's language skills. For example, staff frequently introduce new words and model the correct pronunciation. Additionally, staff sing nursery rhymes throughout the day with children. This helps children to develop a wide vocabulary and understanding of how words sound.
• Children who speak English as an additional language are supported in a range of ways. This includes staff using pictures to communicate and learning basic words in a child's home language. This helps children to quickly settle and to feel included in the nursery.
• Staff risk assess the provision as needed. They teach children how to think about possible dangers independently. For example, children learn how to climb trees and balance on crates safely. This means that children can take calculated risks in a safe environment and further develop their physical skills.
• Parents speak highly of the warm, caring, nurturing staff. They comment that the nursery is a 'home away from home'. Parents speak highly of the trust they have in staff and how much that means to them. Parents demonstrate that there are good levels of communication between themselves and staff. This includes staff supporting parents in different ways to continue children's learning at home.
• The nominated individual did not notify Ofsted of a significant event as required. However, this does not have an impact on the children, as the nominated individual took appropriate action and worked in partnership with the relevant local safeguarding partners. The nominated individual has improved her knowledge of required notifications to ensure she reports information to Ofsted when needed.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• develop further staff's understanding of the curriculum to ensure that the overall aims for learning are consistent.