Lemon Tree at Bude

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are happy, content and feel safe. They show positive attitudes towards their learning. For example, babies giggle with delight while exploring sensory toys, such as bubble lamps and light-up toys. Toddlers show good concentration skills as they build towers with blocks, and they confidently explore sand and water. Staff interact well with children and encourage them to have a positive attitude to learning.

Children spend a lot of time outdoors exploring the garden. They learn about the processes of planting and growing. For example, children help to grow strawberries and potatoes. Staff support older children as they explore real tools and wooden blocks. They learn that a saw is used for cutting wood. Children have outings into the local community to observe building sites. They then become immersed in deep imagination as they enact the role of a builder. Staff provide children with sand and shaving foam to make pretend cement. They use this mixture to build walls with soft bricks. Children's interests are supported very well.

Staff help children to be healthy. They provide nutritious meals and snacks and ensure that vegetables and fruit are on the daily menu. Staff talk to children about the importance of brushing their teeth. Children learn about self-care. For example, they learn to cover their mouths when coughing and to regularly wash their hands. Children's behaviour is good. This is because staff are consistent in reminding children of the nursery rules, such as listening to their friends, sharing and taking turns.

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

• Leaders have a clear vision for the nursery. They lead with purpose and want all children to achieve the very best. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are supported particularly well. Staff work closely with other professionals, such as occupational therapists and speech and language therapists. This helps to ensure that these children can reach the best possible outcomes. Support plans are monitored with rigour and reviewed with precision.
• Staff provide children with an ambitious curriculum that builds on what they know and can do. They use their good knowledge of child development to plan activities that help to close gaps in learning. Children are motivated to learn.
• Children are supported to develop their independence skills in preparation for their move to school. For example, they serve themselves lunch, chop fruit at snack time and pour their own drinks. However, systems to ensure that children's transition to their next phase of education is as smooth as possible are not robust. For example, partnerships with other schools are not yet fully established.
• Staff support the development of children's communication and language skills well. They teach children new words, such as 'shiny' and 'bubble'. Staff repeat words as children play. For example, staff explain when something feels 'fluffy'. They speak clearly and ask questions to encourage children to speak back.
• Leaders support the professional development of staff. They provide them with useful opportunities to extend their knowledge and skills. For example, staff attend training courses in subjects such as sign language. They also learn to use picture exchange so that they can support their communication with children with SEND more effectively.
• Staff support children's early literacy well. They focus on different books to help support children's next steps in learning and development. Children thoroughly enjoy listening to stories. Older children learn about letters and the sounds they represent. Children develop a good understanding of mathematics during activities. For instance, they count as they build towers, and they learn to recognise numbers.
• Activities are planned in small groups to support children's well-being and emotions. They are encouraged to share their ideas with staff and talk about their feelings. For example, children delight in talking about their previous experiences. They explain what makes them 'happy' or 'sad'.
• Parents describe staff as 'amazing' and 'friendly'. They say that they are kept informed about the activities their children engage in each day. However, staff do not consistently share information with all parents about their children's next steps in learning. This means that they are not fully aware of how they can support their children's learning at home.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• strengthen partnerships with schools to ensure there is a robust system in place to support children's smooth transition to school
• extend the information provided to all parents and carers to support them in guiding their children's learning at home.