Learn to Leap

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Staff greet and welcome children and their families into the setting. This helps children to feel safe and secure and happy at the nursery. Staff plan an interesting and ambitious curriculum, both inside and outside of the nursery garden. Staff are attentive and caring, so children form close attachments with their key person. On arrival, children settle quickly into their chosen play. For instance, they thoroughly enjoy their role play when making pretending to make cupcakes in the outdoor play kitchen. Staff readily join in with the children's play and have high expectations for all children. They teach children about manners, being kind and caring. For instance, staff use familiar stories about a colourful fish to teach children about sharing toys and resources. Children are motivated to learn and they behave well. They listen and respond positively to adult instructions and are eager to learn new skills. For example, staff teach children how to use a camera when taking a photograph and explain about a camera lens.

Staff place emphasis on developing all children's communication and language skills. This includes children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. They encourage children to talk about the characters in a story and to use longer sentences. For instance, children learn about how fish use their gills to breathe underwater. Staff use home language words they gather from parents at the start and visual pictures, to aid speech and language development to support children who speak English as an additional language.

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

• Staff use accurate observations to identify children's next steps in learning. Overall, staff plan a range of interesting activities that helps children build on what they already know and can do. However, some older children become quickly bored and move from activity to activity. This is because some activities are not as age-appropriate or challenging as they could be.
• Toddlers develop their imagination as they act out familiar experiences. They pretend to take orders and eat different flavoured ice cream in the play kitchen. Staff enthusiastically join in and further inspire children's role-play ideas. This said, there are occasions where some staff do not make the most of every opportunity to include and engage the quieter children in all activities.
• Children learn about differences and similarities in people in various ways. For example, they take part in regular planned visits to their local community. They learn about people who help them, such as the fire brigade, post office workers, and the dentist and doctors. Children also participate in activities inspired by different religious festivals throughout the year. Children show respect for each other, the staff and visitors.
• Staff monitor children's emotional well-being closely and are well supported from when they start. This support is continued successfully through transitions between rooms and on to school. Children make good progress from their starting points. This includes children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those in receipt of additional funding.
• Children benefit from freshly prepared, healthy meals and their individual dietary needs are catered for effectively. Staff also promote children's oral hygiene, and their good health is further supported thorough hygiene procedures throughout the nursery. The children enjoy being very active in the nursery garden, such as when using bikes and digging in the sand pit.
• Staff consistently encourage and praise children's achievements. In turn, children behave very well. Younger children show great curiosity as they have fun mixing and exploring with flour and water. They learn new words, such as soft and hard, as they create dough. Children develop their large-muscle skills as they learn to balance, jump, and walk across a wooden indoor ramp.
• Parents appreciate the care and attention their children receive. They are pleased with the progress their children have made since starting nursery. Staff regularly exchange information on the children's learning and development, and help parents support their children's learning at home.
• The provider and senior managers are ambitious and have high expectations of their staff. Staff are well supported by management, and professional development is actively encouraged. Reflective practice is ongoing and considers the views of the staff, parents, and the children.
• Senior management welcome support and advice from the local authority and network with other professionals to enhance practice. This effectively supports the inclusion of all children and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• review the planning of activities to match the age and stage of development, particularly for the older and most-able children consistently, so that all activities engage them
• explore ways to include younger children more fully in activities to support their learning even further.