LadyBird Lane Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Staff welcome children and their families as they arrive to start the day. This supports children to separate with ease from their parents and carers. Staff are clear about the boundaries and well-established routine in place. This helps children to feel safe and secure. Children are happy as they play with their friends and staff. They are kind and behave well, showing they understand the rules of the nursery.

The curriculum supports children's development, and the manager and staff adapt it to meet the needs of the children who currently attend. For instance, they focus on children's social and emotional well-being as well as supporting them to become confident communicators. Staff support children's language skills well. For example, they use visual aids and encourage children to make choices. As a result, all children, including children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), make good progress from their starting points in development.

Staff support children as they model and engage in play with them. For example, children enjoy role playing with staff outdoors as they pretend to ride their bicycles to a petrol station. Staff support children to develop their literacy and mathematical skills while being active. They help children to develop positive attitudes in all areas of their learning.

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

• Staff know the importance of knowing and following children's individual interests to support their learning. As a result, staff plan activities in all areas of learning and development based on children interests and chosen themes. Children concentrate for long periods in group activities, for example when staff sing songs with actions and puppets around the current theme of jungle animals.
• Children develop their communication and language skills through a love of stories and songs. Staff teach children new words, which builds on their vocabulary. Children with SEND are confident to share their needs and wants through visuals. As a result, children feel valued as they communicate their interests and express themselves.
• Staff use a range of opportunities to support children in their emerging understanding of mathematics. For example, staff encourage children who love superheroes to create homes of different colours and sizes for them. Additionally, staff model counting and use play to extend children's mathematical language.
• Children have a clear understanding of the expectations of their behaviour, in particular around the routine of the day. Staff support children with a change in activities as they bang a drum. Children understand what is happening next and show excitement with their friends. For example, they tell the inspector that they need to sit down for group circle time, or instinctively help their friends to get their sun hats on before lining up to go outside.
• Children are active outdoors. They extend their large physical movements as they ride bicycles and kick footballs. Additionally, children benefit from a healthy and nutritious diet. This promotes their good health.
• Staff promote children's independence and encourage them to try things for themselves. For example, they give children a five-minute warning then they help to tidy away toys. Children serve their own food and pour their own drinks. However, staff do not consistently support children to understand about good hygiene. For example, they do not always encourage children to wash their hands before snack times.
• Leaders identify staff's strengths and training needs through peer observations and regular supervision meetings. Staff say they feel well supported in the guidance they receive.
• The provider did not notify Ofsted of a significant event as required. However, leaders acknowledge this was an oversight and they are now fully aware of their duty to notify Ofsted in the future. This oversight does not have any impact on children's safety.
• The special educational needs coordinator (SENCo) works closely alongside staff and external professionals to gain support for children with SEND. Additionally, staff communicate with parents about their children's progress, and parents say that they feel informed about what their children are learning.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support staff to consistently teach children about good hygiene.