Ladybirds Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children thoroughly enjoy attending this home-from-home nursery. They have formed strong relationships with all staff, helping them to feel safe and secure. Children have highly positive attitudes to learning, meaning all children, including children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), make good progress in their development. They behave well and play cooperatively together.

The curriculum has been adapted well to meet children's next steps in learning. For example, staff help babies to develop their core strength. They implement 'tummy time' where babies use their head, neck, stomach and forearms to support themselves while lying on their tummy. Staff use mats filled with water to capture babies' attention while increasing their physical strength. Toddlers show interest in the 'imagination station' where they can explore different resources using magnifying glasses. Staff talk to children about what they see and introduce new words, such as 'examine' and 'inspect'. They explain to toddlers what these words mean to support their understanding. Pre-school children learn how to regulate their emotions. Staff have created a designated space where children can go to relax. They use specific books and props to talk to children about how they are feeling. Children can also draw a picture and 'feed' this to the 'worry monster' to help express their anxieties, which supports their mental health.

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

• The management team and the staff have made considerable improvements since their last inspection. They have worked hard to ensure the curriculum is ambitious and planned effectively to ensure all children succeed. Staff work well together to ensure children's next steps are precisely tailored to meet their needs. They help children to build on their existing skills to extend their development. For instance, staff use visual cards that they carry around their neck on a lanyard. They show these cards to babies to help them understand what will happen next, such as a nappy change, snack or nap time. Babies lift up their arms to staff, showing they understand.
• Children develop good imagination and language skills. Toddlers engage in the role-play 'space station'. Staff talk to them about the different planets they are going to visit. Outside, pre-school children enjoy playing the part of police officers. They dress up in costumes and use clipboards to record their 'investigation'. Children talk positively about how they help the community and use their pretend 'walkie-talkies' to communicate with each other.
• Toddlers enjoy sensory activities that staff plan to help strengthen their small physical skills. They use tweezers to pick up pieces of dried pasta and enjoy squeezing dough. Occasionally, existing staff in the toddler room do not consistently show new staff how to further develop children's hand-to-eye coordination. For example, at times, they do not show toddlers how to use writing tools correctly when children try to hold these with two hands, making it difficult for them to make marks.
• Staff encourage daily opportunities for outdoor play. Pre-school children enjoy using clay and natural materials. Staff talk to them about the different herbs and flowers, such as parsley, sage, lavender and rose petals. They encourage children to use these to make patterns in the clay. Children are curious, asking staff what the lines on a leaf are. Staff explain to children that these are called 'veins' and that they help to draw up the water from the rain. Children recall their prior knowledge about the life cycle of a plant.
• The nursery staff have formed effective relationships with parents. They keep parents informed about their child's development and how to build on their individual needs. Parents report positively about the nursery. They comment on how much progress their child has made and the strong support staff provide, including in the preparation for children's move to school.
• Staff talk to children about keeping safe in the sun. They tell babies what they are doing as they put on their sun cream and hats. Toddlers and pre-school children find their water bottles and take these outside. Staff remind them to take regular drinks so that they stay hydrated. Staff move activities into shaded areas of the garden to prevent children from becoming sunburnt.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• coach and support new staff in using consistent strategies to teach children how to use mark-making tools effectively to further develop their hand-to-eye coordination.