Ladybird Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children arrive happily at nursery. They quickly say goodbye to their parent or carer as they are eager to get into the setting. After changing shoes and hanging up their coats and bags independently, they greet friends and staff. They have fun exploring a range of interesting activities. Children are fascinated by chicks that have recently hatched. They stand at the incubator smiling and sharing what they observe with friends and staff.

Children experience a mix of adult-led and free-play activities; staff observe where children are playing and adapt the resources on offer if they are not catching children's attention. Children develop secure and trusting bonds with their key person and all staff.

Children respond well to the newly-established time prompts that signal a change in the routine. For example, children are given a clear five-minute signal to indicate it is nearly time for snack or when they can prepare to go in the garden. Children's behaviour is good. They take turns and share with minimal adult support. The 'golden rules' are promoted well by staff, and children enjoy being identified and rewarded for positive behaviour.

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

• Staff make good use of children's interests to plan a broad educational programme. For example, children's interest was sparked by a child's recent appointment at the dentist. Children enthusiastically brush rubber teeth. As they brush, they discuss how cleaning teeth regularly helps to keep them strong. Children remind each other how long and how often teeth should be brushed to reduce 'bacteria' as it causes 'cavities'. Their conversation also includes how eating fruit and vegetables helps to keep teeth healthy.
• Staff interactions with children are sensitive. Younger children crawl over to join staff to share songs and rhymes. As staff sing, babies sway to the tune and older children join in with some words or actions. The children smile and clap at the end of each song, demonstrating their enjoyment.
• Staff help children to gain a wide range of physical skills. In the garden, they ensure babies have room to crawl, pull themselves up to standing or begin to walk. Older children are supported to gain independence using 'the magic trick' to flip coats over their heads before going out to play together at the sand tray or join group games using balls.
• Snacks and meals are cooked on the premises. Plates and bowls of different colours indicate the dietary requirements for each child. The cook is passionate about supporting children to try a range of healthy foods. By working with parents, individual plans are devised to encourage children to eat a wider variety of foods when at home.
• Staff encourage children to develop good self-care practices. Children wash their hands before snacks and meals and after using the bathroom. Staff support children to identify when they need to wipe their nose. This contributes to good self-awareness and health and hygiene.
• Parents report how much their children enjoy attending nursery. Parents feel staff are kind and that their children receive good care and are kept safe and secure. Parents report they would be happy to raise any concerns they had with staff and managers. Information on their child's day is shared face-to-face or communicated through the setting's online family application. Parents enjoy looking at the application. However, very few parents use it to share information from home.
• Leaders and managers have worked effectively with the local authority to address concerns raised at the last inspection. Staff shared how they now feel more confident in their role as they have attended training. Leaders and managers are regularly observing practice to identify staff's individual training needs and the impact training has on practice. Staff discuss how they would alert managers to safeguarding issues if they were concerned about a child in their care.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support parents to find ways to share information about their child's development, to improve the links between home and nursery.