Lancaster Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children thrive at this exceptional setting. They are cared for by a highly qualified staff team who are supported by an inspirational manager. The enthusiasm the manager has for providing high-quality care for the children is adopted by the staff team. Children are offered personalised settling-in sessions in order to ensure they feel safe and secure while they are at nursery. The dedicated key-person system supports children and families in the early stages of their journey at nursery. The provider believes that children's basic needs must be met before they can start learning. This is implemented effectively in practice. Staff focus on attachments with children throughout nursery. Consequently, children are settled and confident to embark on their learning journey.

Children behave exceptionally well. They have exemplary manners and are kind and courteous. Their attitudes towards their learning are positive and they are willing to have a go at activities. Staff enhance children's learning by offering support if and when required in order to provide challenge for them. For example, babies roll cars along the floor and staff provide alternative ways of doing this, introducing ramps and modelling words and sounds. As a result, babies are exposed to language that prepares them for their first words.

Children's health and safety is of great importance to the staff team. They have robust systems in place to ensure children's individual needs are met. For example, at mealtimes, a traffic-light system is in place to identify children with allergies, intolerances and dislikes. Name cards, coloured plates and cups work well to make sure their specific needs are always fully met.

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

• The nursery manager is passionate and her enthusiasm for wanting children to achieve at the highest level is evident. Staff fully understand the expectations of them. They have regular supervisions and appraisals with targets set, to build on their already outstanding practice. Staff well-being is paramount throughout the company who aim to provide a healthy work-life balance for all staff. A recent awards ceremony celebrated the achievements of the nursery and individuals received awards for their work. The nursery remained open throughout the COVID-19 pandemic as they cater for predominantly key-worker families. The company provided food parcels for staff working throughout the pandemic. This was done so staff could fully focus on their roles looking after children.
• Children with special educational needs and or disabilities (SEND) are supported extremely well by a dedicated and passionate SEND coordinator. Staff take particular care when seeking support for children. For example, when the usual route for support was delayed due to the pandemic, staff found alternative ways of accessing the required support. As a result, children's needs are continuously met and interventions are implemented promptly. Partnership working is excellent which further supports children and their families.
• Children's communication and language are promoted tremendously well throughout nursery. The nursery is calm and provides lots of opportunities for children to use their communication skills. Babies babble and use gesture when communicating with staff who respond by modelling language to them. Toddlers enjoy listening to stories and staff make them feel part of the story when they ask them to predict what will happen next. Pre-school children are confident talkers who ask questions and engage in meaningful conversations with staff.
• Excellent partnerships are established between the nursery and parents. Families are encouraged to take books from the nursery lending library to read at home. Home-learning packs provide activities for each age group to do at home along with the resources. Information sheets provide ideas for siblings at home too. Parents report that nursery is an extension of home. Their children feel safe and secure and most of all, they are happy when they are at nursery. Parents feel they are kept well informed of their child's development and find the nursery staff provide a wealth of information. Regular newsletters provide information for parents also.
• Children very much lead their play, with staff providing activities spontaneously. For example, pre-school children had attended a kite festival at the weekend and they wanted their own event. Staff help the children to find the materials they require to make their own kites. The children love watching their handmade kites blowing in the wind and are eager to discuss their designs.
• The company have their own learning programme that focuses on mathematics, science, communication, health and well-being. Activities are planned and purposeful and reflect elements of the programme. For example, when children are playing with ice cream resources, they talk about them being 'cold' and if they go outside they will 'melt'. Staff ask questions to encourage curiosity and develop children's scientific awareness.
• The nursery mascot, 'Candy Floss', is used to relay important messages to children. For example, it talks to children about online safety and how to decide if they should be watching certain films at home. The children are taught about sun safety too. Candy Floss is used to introduce sensitive issues and broaden children's understanding of communities beyond their own. It is used to discuss what makes them unique, including different religions, cultures and disabilities. For example, the individual needs of children within nursery are spoken about openly, so that children fully understand how to communicate with each other effectively.