Lets Play Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

All children thrive in this nurturing and inviting nursery. Leaders are passionate about providing children with the very best start to their early years. This ethos is shared by a committed staff team. Staff carefully consider the different experiences children bring with them. They pride themselves on prioritising outcomes for their most disadvantaged children. Staff enhance the learning environment with resources that represent children's current fascinations. They ensure that the resources are readily available so that children can use them in their play to practise what they have learned. Leaders use additional funding to ensure that it precisely benefits the needs of the children it is intended for. For example, children have access to instant-use cameras as they study their facial features and portraits. Children excitedly take photos of their friends and wait patiently for the images to develop. This thoughtful planning of activities and resources ignites children's curiosity and thirst for learning. Children of all ages consistently demonstrate extremely high levels of interest and engagement. Their behaviour is impeccable.

Leaders and staff reflect deeply on current practice to make improvements to the nursery. They monitor the service they provide meticulously. This includes reviewing the quality of teaching and providing staff with bespoke training and support. They use this learning to build their ambitious and broad curriculum. Staff treat children with the utmost respect. 'With and not to' is woven through their practice. They speak gently and calmly to children. They value the children's opinion and choice to participate in care routines. Play and learning are never interrupted. Leaders are extremely successful at conveying their curriculum intent to the whole staff team. As a result, the teaching has a profound positive impact on what the children can remember and do. Strong and trusting relationships are built between staff and children. All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), make rapid progress from their various starting points.

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

• Leadership in this nursery is inspirational. They ensure all staff receive highly effective professional development opportunities. Leaders blend different teaching approaches and training to best suit the needs of the children they serve. There is a strong focus on staff well-being, and therefore morale is high.
• Children explore a variety of hands-on learning experiences that spark their natural curiosity. There are many interesting opportunities to use different media to make marks. For example, children mix paint with sticks and leaves as their tools. There is a mini-beach set-up for children to experience the feeling of sand between their toes. Children carefully draw shapes and letters in the sand. This helps to build their small hand muscles needed for their future writing.
• Staff provide numerous opportunities to those children who prefer to learn outside. Children move freely outdoors. They pretend to make soup and build a house for hedgehogs. They work together to add different 'vegetables' and stir the pot. Children confidently give instructions and share their ideas with others. Consequently, children are forming friendships and learning valuable skills of negotiation and teamwork. As a result, children are being very well prepared for their next stage in learning.
• Children's communication and language are given the highest priority. Every child is read a story before nap time. Staff speak slowly and clearly to children. They ensure they give children enough time to think and respond to any questions. Staff clearly understand how children learn. Conversations are rich, and there is a buzz of excitement in the air as pre-school children confidently share their ideas of what they would like to do next. Their language is developing rapidly because of the high-quality interactions they receive. Children are extremely confident communicators, and they use a wide and varied vocabulary.
• Support for children with SEND is excellent. The well-qualified special educational needs coordinator provides tailored support for children. She uses techniques she has learned in training, and she quickly recognises when children might need additional help. She works closely with other professionals to share valuable information. As a result, children with SEND get the early and ongoing support they might need.
• Supporting parents with home learning is given the utmost priority. Staff provide tailored home learning ideas and activities. These are specifically designed to meet the individual interests and learning needs of the children. This helps to maximise and consolidate children's learning between home and nursery.