Leaps and Bounds Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children demonstrate a real sense of belonging in this nursery and they display high levels of engagement in their learning. Staff are kind and considerate. They offer children hugs and reassurance. Staff guide older children as they play and learn. Babies reach out to staff who cuddle them and care for them very well. Staff gather important details from parents about children's routines and preferences. They use this information to plan learning experiences and help children transition between activities effectively.

Staff prioritise children's individual needs and ensure that the carefully considered key-person approach is embedded throughout the nursery. As a result, all children form strong bonds with the adults who care for them. This helps children to feel safe and secure and sets a firm foundation for future learning. Children who are at risk of falling behind, such as disadvantaged groups or children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), make good progress in their learning.

Staff are good role models and set high expectations for children's behaviour. They implement routines that help children understand what is happening next. This approach supports children's emotional health and assists with smooth transitions, such as getting ready for outside play or moving between rooms and activities.

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

• A key strength of the nursery is the targeted support that is given for children that need it most. Leaders ensure that staff work in partnerships with other professionals, such as advisors and speech and language therapists. Staff attend training to further their knowledge of ways to support children with SEND.
• Staff recognise that some children need support with their communication and language skills. They focus on creating a language-rich environment throughout the nursery. For example, babies are sung to as they are soothed to sleep. They delight in shaking instruments as they listen to rhymes. Staff read stories to children and ask them to contribute their ideas on what might happen next. Older children become enthusiastic participants in familiar stories. They collectively chant 'We're not going on a bear hunt again.' Staff use opportunities, such as reading stories, to provide games and props to further extend children's enjoyment and learning.
• Overall, the staff are skilled in providing a sequential curriculum, which builds on children's current interests and existing knowledge. This helps to keep children stimulated and motivated in their learning. However, on occasions, staff do not fully understand the intent of the activities and, therefore, do not provide children with an explanation as to why they are taking part. Consequently, some learning can be incidental rather than purposeful. Despite this, children's overall engagement and enjoyment in activities is high.
• Generally, staff respond to children's needs well. They join in with their play and encourage children to contribute their thoughts and opinions to discussions. This helps children to feel valued and listened to and effectively supports children's self-esteem. However, there are times when staff focus their attention on children who are more vocal. As a result, some children do not get the same chances to direct the play. For example, on occasions, staff's attention is taken by the enthusiasm of some children, and this directs attention away from quieter children.
• Staff support children's understanding of healthy lifestyles extremely well. Children are given fruit and vegetables and provided with a nutritious home-cooked meal. Parents are provided with recipe ideas and, on occasion, food packs to encourage children to try a more varied selection of foods at home.
• Regular teethbrushing throughout the day is a firm favourite with children. They enjoy selecting their own toothbrush and demonstrate their excitement as they proudly show their clean teeth to a visitor to the setting.
• Children run around in a well-planned outside garden. They visit local parks and libraries and have walks in the local community. This helps provide an understanding of the diverse world in which they live.
• Leaders use additional funding to secure calming sensory resources to provide a rich set of learning experiences for those children who previously may not have had them. Parents provide very positive feedback about the nursery. They appreciate that staff consistently go 'above and beyond' to make their children feel welcomed.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• develop staff's understanding of how to improve their explanations of activities to extend children's learning further
• provide greater opportunities for quieter children to play an active part in group activities, to share their ideas and increase their confidence.