Leicester College Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are happy to arrive at this welcoming nursery. They are cared for by staff who know them well. Children show positive relationships with staff. Babies are keen to show staff photos of their family members and pets that are displayed in their own photo album. Younger children talk confidently to staff about their experiences at home when they look at photos of the houses they live in. Children behave well. They wait patiently and take turns to say their name during group activities. They show an interest in what other children have to say and show respect for their views.

Staff have high expectations of children's physical abilities. For example, staff stand close to younger children when they attempt to crawl up a hill in the garden. Staff support children who are less confident. For example, they hold on to their hands when they walk down the hill safely. The more confident children are excited to run down the hill on their own. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are supported well to progress in their development. For example, children are shown pictures of activities that take place during the day. This supports children's emotional well-being when the routine of the day changes, such as to help them to know what will happen next.

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

• Staff support children's communication and language skills well. For example, staff play a guitar and sing songs and rhymes with children. Staff ask children a good range of questions to help encourage them to think and respond.
• When children first start attending, staff gather information about children's home language. This is particularly beneficial for children who speak English as an additional language. Staff provide key words in children's home language and English to help support their language development.
• Staff offer children a healthy range of snacks, such as rice cakes and fruit. They help older children to learn the names of unfamiliar fruit, such as a pineapple and an aubergine. However, staff do not ensure that snack times for children in the baby room are always hygienic. Staff ask children to sit on the floor to eat their snacks. Some children have to put their food on the floor so they can pick up their drinks, then pick the food up again.
• Staff encourage children to be kind to others. For example, they remind children to use 'kind hands'. Staff ask children to speak out and to use their voice when they do not like what another child is doing to them. Children say, 'No thank you.'
• Staff provide children with opportunities to develop a love of stories. When staff tell children stories, they use toys that are in the story to help bring it to life. They use different tones in their voice, which helps to maintain children's attention. Children sit well, listen and join in saying familiar repeated phrases. These skills help children in preparation for future learning and their eventual move on to school.
• The managers use additional funding effectively to meet the needs of individual children. For example, scooters have been purchased to encourage children to develop their balance and coordination.
• The managers and staff place a strong focus on supporting children's personal, social and emotional development. They recognise that children need to develop secure attachments with staff when they start attending. Because of this, staff spend time with parents and children, getting to know them. They find out about children's abilities, interests and care needs so they can provide for these. This helps children to feel safe and secure.
• Staff talk to children about stranger danger. However, they are not consistent in their approach to help children to identify other potential dangers, for example when children use technological devices to access the internet at home.
• Parents appreciate the information they receive from staff about their children's learning. They value the advice they get from staff, for example to encourage their children's sleeping routines at home. This shows a united approach to supporting children's care and learning.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support staff to strengthen their knowledge of how to promote hygienic practice during snack time for children in the baby room
• improve the consistency of staff's teaching to help children to understand how to recognise further potential risks at home.