Knighton Day Nursery & Pre-school

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Staff support babies with cuddles and reassurance at this homely nursery. Babies quickly settle into their play, demonstrating that they feel safe and secure. They practise their hand-eye coordination as staff support their early understanding. For example, staff help babies use their hands to spin shiny reels around and roll them along the floor. They teach them to understand phrases, such as 'go round' and 'spinning fast', as babies watch the reels move.

Children are eager to explore the inspiring activities on offer. They learn how to use small tools safely and to understand the world. For example, staff demonstrate to older children how to carefully hold mallets to squash paint-filled sponges. Children notice that the squashed sponges release the watery paint, and staff describe to the children that the blue water drips out 'like a waterfall'.

Staff continuously adapt activities to meet children's interests in the moment, and as a result, children are extremely motivated and demonstrate positive attitudes to learning. For example, older children talk about the colour green as they paint a picture of a tree. Staff quickly use books to teach children about different shades of green. Children excitedly mix paints, and staff ask them to match the shades they have made to colours in the book of 'crocodile green' or 'pistachio green'.

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

• The curriculum is planned to build on what children know and can do. Staff consistently adapt teaching throughout the day to support children with new learning and to help them explore their ideas and interests. For example, staff support younger children to practise their small-muscle skills and be creative. Children learn to paint on large mirrors as staff help them to grip the brush. This quickly changes as younger children brush coloured paint onto their hands. Staff encourage them to explore and find out what new colours they can make as they rub their hands together. Staff continue the children's interest in the garden as they encourage them to mix paint with mud.
• Staff provide a language-rich environment to support babies with their communication and understanding skills. For example, they introduce new words to older babies as they pour water from teapots into cups. Staff use words such as 'add', 'more' and 'squash' as they show babies how to squeeze wet teabags into the water and encourage them to smell the mixture.
• Staff focus on teaching children to play together and take turns. As a result, children adopt positive attitudes and learn to behave well. For example, children create a game of rolling a heavy ball to knock down cardboard tubes. Staff encourage other children to join in. Children become very excited and enthusiastically cheer each other on. They listen to staff as they explain why they should only roll the heavy ball.
• Staff support children's confidence and encourage them to take manageable risks during play. For example, older children make obstacle courses out of large boxes, crates and planks. Staff offer support and praise as they learn to safely jump off the high box at the end of the course. However, staff do not consistently encourage younger children's independence. Staff put on toddlers' shoes and dry their hands for them without asking toddlers to try and do it for themselves.
• Leaders and managers reflect on the quality of the provision. They work hard to enhance the environment to inspire children to be curious about the learning space around them. They observe staff's practice and meet to discuss ideas for ways to improve. However, the manager does not always provide clear individual training targets for individual staff to help raise the quality of education to the highest level.
• Parents speak of the nurturing nursery as being like a home from home. They say it is 'magical' and that staff go above and beyond. Parents state that they feel involved and informed about their children's learning. Staff provide advice to help them support children's learning at home, such as offering information on potty training.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• strengthen staff skills in supporting younger children to develop their independence skills
• strengthen existing arrangements for coaching staff, to provide them with clear individual training targets to help raise the quality of education to an even higher level.