Leap Day Nurseries

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children arrive happy and settle quickly. They have formed positive relationships with staff and their peers. Staff create a welcoming and friendly environment, with a broad range of activities to spark children's interest and curiosity as they play. For instance, children find different fruit and vegetables in the home corner and engage in messy play. They show great determination when using knives to cut food open. Children develop their small-muscle skills. In addition, older children skilfully talk about the different textures and smells they discover.

Children behave well. They make good progress in their learning. Staff understand the importance of supporting babies' early language development. For instance, they use narration at mealtimes to identify different vegetables and nutrients as babies skilfully feed themselves. Staff introduce new words as children engage in play. For example, pre-school children describe how the building has 'collapsed' when they hear stories about the three little pigs. Children develop their vocabulary. Staff have high expectations of children. Children know the routines well and follow instructions. For instance, pre-school children get their coats and line up to go outside. Young children carefully go up and down stairs to access the garden. They demonstrate a good understanding of how to keep themselves safe.

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

• Overall, during adult-led activities, children confidently talk about what is happening in the stories being read to them. Staff skilfully encourage children to draw on their previous learning. For instance, children describe how they use 'sand as cement, which goes in between bricks'. However, staff do not always wait for children to respond to questions or consider how to encourage those who are less confident to talk and express themselves.
• Children's health is promoted well, and they enjoy healthy meals and snacks. For instance, pre-school children brush pretend teeth and talk about the effects of too much sugar. Managers are continuing to support staff, to ensure that children develop their independence skills. For example, children help lay the table and serve themselves during lunchtimes. However, in the pre-school room, transitions between mealtimes are still not organised well to ensure that all children follow good hygiene practices and are not waiting for long periods.
• Staff know children well. They observe children's development and identify where they need additional support. The special educational needs coordinator works closely with parents and other professionals. All children are well supported, including those who receive additional funding and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities.
• Staff comment that they feel well supported. The ambitious manager considers ways to assist staff's well-being and to fulfil their roles and responsibilities. For instance, staff access a broad range of training online. In addition, managers spend time observing and modelling good practice in the rooms. They support staff development with team training days. This helps to raise the standard of teaching.
• Staff develop positive relationships with parents. Parents are happy with the progress made by their children. They appreciate the daily updates and the new online application system.
• Babies thrive at the nursery and benefit from a curriculum that focuses on their individual needs. They build strong bonds with staff right from the start. Staff know babies well and provide a variety of activities and resources, inside and outside. Activities support the next steps in children's learning, such as pulling themselves up on furniture and learning to walk. Babies confidently move around the setting, enjoying messy play and sharing pull-along toys with adults.
• All children have opportunities to explore early mathematical concepts. For example, in the garden, pre-school children spend time taking turns filling and emptying large vats with water. They manage taps and the weight of different-sized jugs. Younger children explore differences such as 'big' and 'small'. They take great delight in finding child-friendly knives to cut carrots, making them smaller and smaller. Staff weave some additional learning, such as counting and numbers, into their play and conversations. Children's behaviour is good.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• enhance opportunities for children who are less confident in speaking to talk and express themselves and share their ideas
• organise pre-school lunchtime more effectively in order to maximise learning opportunities, and ensure that children do not sit around for prolonged periods of time.