Ladels Day Nursery Limited

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The very enthusiastic and dedicated staff team keenly welcomes children as they arrive. Children demonstrate that they feel safe and emotionally secure. On arrival, children give key staff a hug, find their favourite toys and settle quickly. Older children find their friends and proudly tell them, 'This is a pink crown.' Children build positive relationships with staff and each other. Staff are attentive and caring and, overall, ensure that they meet children's individual needs.

Staff successfully promote children's good health. For example, children enjoy a warm and healthy breakfast to help to boost their energy to start their busy day of fun and learning. Staff implement the nursery's curriculum for outdoor play and learning to a very good level. Mixed ages of children have plenty of time outdoors to help to promote physical exercise and access lots of fresh air.

Staff skilfully encourage children's collaborative play. Older children are highly involved in their play and learning. They take turns, share and follow instructions. For example, children dress up as builders as they build a high tower with pretend foam bricks. Children scream and laugh with excitement when the tower tumbles. They enjoy each other's company and consistently demonstrate positive behaviour.

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

• The manager has taken positive steps to ensure that staff have improved their knowledge and teaching skills further, to embed the implementation of the nursery's curriculum. Staff appreciate the professional development opportunities to help them to plan varied and exciting experiences and to help children to focus on their learning. Children receive good-quality education and make progress in their learning.
• The manager ensures that families receive their full early years funding entitlement. This includes children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and those children who do not necessarily have the same early experiences as others.
• Parents speak highly of staff and the care they provide. They recognise the good progress their children make, such as in their speaking and listening skills, confidence and independence. Parents appreciate the daily communication with staff, and an online app that staff use to share important information. This provides a consistent approach in supporting all children's learning and care.
• The manager provides support for new staff so that they know and understand their roles and responsibilities. This includes vetting procedures and suitability checks to ensure that all staff are suitable to work with children. Staff confirm that their well-being is valued by the manager.
• Staff engage very positively with children to help to promote their language skills and well-being. This is illustrated well during adult-led activities. Staff ask questions to encourage children to think of a solution and support children to listen to each other. Staff introduce new words, such as 'sticky' and 'slimy', to help to extend children's vocabulary. However, very occasionally, some staff do not quickly intervene when babies become unsettled, in particular during busy periods at the beginning of the day.
• Staff know what they want all children to learn next. They use their knowledge of child development to sequence children's learning. For example, staff provide babies with opportunities to develop their large muscles in preparation for crawling and walking. In the toddler room, staff encourage children to squeeze and manipulate dough to strengthen their small muscles in readiness for early mark making.
• Staff plan for children's outdoor learning well. Children have lots of fun as they confidently explore the large outdoor space. Older children negotiate space as they enthusiastically ride tricycles and practise their physical strength. For example, children hold rope as they pull themselves up a fixed climbing frame. Younger children hold chunky chalk to create random marks and look at visitors through magnifying glasses. Children have a positive attitude to their learning.
• Staff are respectful to children. Nevertheless, occasionally, staff do not help children to understand what is happening next. Some staff do not provide children with an explanation or warning before they carry out daily tasks. For example, they put bibs on younger children, and wipe children's faces after mealtimes without talking to them about what happens next.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• think more carefully about how to promote individual children's individual needs, particularly babies, at the beginning of the day
• build on the existing good practice to help children to understand what is happening next during routines.