Leapfrog Neighbourhood Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Staff give children a warm welcome as they arrive at nursery. They know the children well and develop secure and nurturing relationships with them. Children are confident to seek out staff for play and reassurance as needed. Staff recognise each child's unique personality and the additional support some children need, such as comfort and cuddles to help them settle. This helps children's emotional development.

Leaders have planned a clear curriculum designed to teach children a range of skills. For example, children learn about their immediate world, the wider world and how to look after themselves. Staff successfully implement this curriculum. For instance, they encourage children to be independent from when they start, by making choices in their play. Furthermore, they support children to develop their social skills as they play with their friends. This supports all children's learning and development, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

Staff ensure that all children benefit from daily activities to support their physical development. They encourage babies to practise their early walking skills. For example, babies have low-level furniture to pull to stand and steps that they enjoy going up and down. Children are excited to spend time outside. For instance, they enjoy climbing up the climbing wall and delight as they slide through the tunnel and down the slides.

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

• Leaders and staff are passionate about their roles. Leaders understand the importance of supporting staff's well-being. They ensure effective, regular staff supervision sessions are in place. All staff have access to targeted training opportunities, which supports their professional development.
• Leaders and staff carefully monitor children's progress. This allows them to swiftly identify when children may need additional support for their learning. For example, staff are aware of which children need extra help with their speech and language development. They work with other professionals effectively as a team, to help close any gaps children have. For instance, leaders have used additional funding that children are entitled to, to further enhance resources to support children's communication and language development.
• Staff plan to build on what children already know and can do. They notice when children make links to previous learning, such as when children remember flipping pancakes. Staff encourage children to recall past experiences and help them to develop new learning. For example, children learn about shape and size while making pancakes with play dough. Furthermore, they initiate new learning strategies, such as heuristic play, to support babies to problem solve, experiment and explore. However, on occasion during group activities staff do not recognise when children become unsettled and distracted, meaning they do not benefit fully from the intended learning. This does not consistently support children's listening and attention skills.
• Staff plan many opportunities to help promote children's independence and self-help skills. For instance, staff encourage children to put their own coats and shoes on to go into the garden. There is a clear routine in place that children know and understand. For instance, children know where to put their belongings and are supported to self-register when they arrive.
• Staff promote and support children's behaviour well, most of the time. Staff understand the importance of role modelling. For example, they help children who have minor conflicts resolve them positively and support children to learn how to tidy up. However, at times, staff do not provide consistent guidance to help children learn about what is acceptable. For instance, staff do not always support children to understand how their behaviour could impact others. This does not consistently support children to learn right from wrong.
• Staff establish positive relationships with parents. They gather detailed information from them when children first start. This helps staff to identify clear starting points for learning. Staff share information about children's learning and development with parents and provide resources, such as familiar stories to read at home. This supports children's early literacy skills.
• Leaders and staff recognise the importance of giving children opportunities to develop an understanding of their community. For example, children frequently visit local places of interest. Staff support children to learn about their own and other's cultures and beliefs. For instance, they celebrate festivals and invite families in to take part in activities linked to other cultures. This supports children to have a sense of belonging and learn about the wider world.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• strengthen the organisation of small group times, to ensure children benefit fully from the intended learning
• support staff further to give consistently clear messages, so that children know and understand the expectations of their behaviour and learn right from wrong.