Langham Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children arrive at the nursery with smiles on their faces. They happily say 'goodbye' to their parents at the playground gate and take the hand of a member of staff to walk to the nursery. Children have good manners. Toddlers say 'thank you' when they are offered drinks and snacks. Children are learning social skills and to be independent. They cooperate with each other, share and take turns. Pre-school children help each other as they dress up as builders and support their friends to put on high-visibility jackets and hard hats. They work together to draw a plan of their construction site and to lift and carry tyres and planks of wood to build with.

Children are learning the skills that they need for the next stage in learning and development. Staff encourage them to develop their resilience and persist when they struggle with activities and tasks. Staff reassure children when they get frustrated at not being able to put on and fasten their shoes. Staff praise children for trying and reward their efforts. Children are developing their communication and language skills. Staff plan many opportunities for children to sing songs and rhymes. Toddlers demonstrate that they know the words and actions to familiar songs. Pre-school children confidently take turns to choose their favourite song for the whole group to sing.

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

• The manager, the staff and the teachers from the host school have worked together since the last inspection to address the weaknesses that were identified. The manager has set clear priorities for improvement. Staff have regular supervisions and are observed interacting with children. The manager understands the strengths of the team and, where staff need further support, offers mentoring or training. Staff comment that they feel well supported to carry out their roles.
• Staff work with parents prior to the child starting nursery to find out about the child's development. They ask parents for information about their child's interests and any comfort needs. Staff use the information that they gain to plan settling-in sessions and to help children transition into the nursery.
• Staff understand how children learn. They complete regular observations of children to determine if there are any gaps in children's development. The manager and the staff have a good knowledge of the curriculum and what they want children to learn. They support children to build on what they already know and can do. They give children time and opportunity to practise skills that children will need for their eventual move to school.
• Children have a great interest in books. Pre-school children listen intently to stories being read. They pre-empt the end of sentences and guess what will happen next. Staff use children's love of books to extend their learning. After reading 'Room on the Broom', staff invite children to create their own magic potions. As children create and mix potions, the staff introduce language. They name the new and unfamiliar equipment the children are using, such as pipettes and pestle and mortar. Staff demonstrate how to use this equipment and the children copy the new skills needed.
• Daily routines are used well to support children's understanding of numbers. At group time, staff encourage pre-school children to count how many children are present and how many of the total present are girls and boys. Children confidently identify that there are more boys than girls because the number of boys is greater.
• Children take pride in their nursery environment. They participate well when they are asked to tidy up. Staff explain to children that toys need to be kept tidy to help ensure the nursery and garden are a safe place to play. However, staff do not consistently promote children's understanding of how to stay safe. For example, when children use a safety knife, which has a blunt end, to chop fruit, the staff do not remind children of how to hold and use the knife to ensure that they learn how to handle all knives safely.
• Staff know the children in their care well. They talk to parents to find out about the child's family life, background and experiences. Staff plan activities to help children learn about the festivals and traditions of other children. However, staff miss opportunities to support children to learn about what makes them individual and unique.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support children to develop their understanding of diversity and learn about what we have in common and what makes us individual and unique
• provide children with explanations consistently, to help their understanding of potential hazards so that they learn to assess risk and to keep themselves safe.