Lilliputs Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are happy and confident. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, parents no longer come into the nursery itself. Despite this, children are confident to leave them at the door. Children run in and go straight to the room, choosing the activities they wish to take part in. Children of all ages behave well and play harmoniously together. Staff organise the day to allow lots of opportunities for children to practise taking turns and sharing. Staff support children who are still learning these skills. They guide children in a sensitive and consistent way. For example, staff remind children to ask their friend if they can join in with their play.

Staff support children to develop good levels of independence. Older children serve their own lunch and put on their coats and wellies. Staff have established good routines that children readily follow. Children happily sing a tidy-up song to let their friends know it is time to get ready for snack. Children wash their hands prior to lunch and after using the bathroom. This contributes to good health and hygiene.

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

• The manager and her team have a clear vision for the nursery. They work closely to look at the strengths and any areas for development of the nursery. Leaders conduct regular observations of the staff and provide them with ongoing support and training. Staff feel well supported in their role.
• The management team has clear curriculum aims and knows what it wants staff to focus their teaching on to help children make progress. For example, the current focus for toddlers is to develop their communication and language skills. Staff who work with toddlers do this well. They sing songs and rhymes; toddlers thoroughly enjoy joining in. Children develop good language skills.
• Parents speak very highly of the staff. They access information about their child's learning through an online portal and daily discussions with staff. Parents are encouraged to share their child's experiences at home to further enhance their child's learning at nursery. Children have the opportunity to take soft toys home and keep a diary. This helps to initiate meaningful discussions and establishes continuity in children's care and learning.
• Staff offer children opportunities that help them to learn about people and families beyond their own. Children engage in experiences to understand how different people celebrate. Recently, the children celebrated the Muslim festival of Eid. Opportunities such as these help to develop children's understanding of similarities, difference and life in modern Britain.
• Staff understand the importance of children developing good communication and language skills. They make use of opportunities to join in with children's play and conversations. Staff use these times to ask questions and talk about what children are doing. For example, staff and children play together in the pretend kitchen. Children tell staff they are making 'a cup of tea'. Children are confident talkers, and they chat away to each other and staff.
• Overall, staff assess and monitor children's learning and track their progress well. However, some children's next steps in learning are not as sharply focused as they could be to accelerate their learning to an even higher level.
• During activities, staff get down to the children's level and actively engage with them. For example, staff encourage children to discuss what they are painting. However, occasionally, staff do not make the best use of spontaneous opportunities to promote children's learning.
• Children benefit from the links the nursery has made with the local community. They participate in schemes to promote road and bike safety, swimming lessons and visits to the local forest. This helps children to acquire important life skills and explore the community they live in.
• Children due to start primary school benefit from well-planned transition procedures. For instance, parents are invited to discuss the change and how best they can support their child. Staff work very closely with the local primary schools to ensure that children are best prepared for their move. For example, staff adopt the same approach to teaching phonics as the local schools. This consistent approach helps children to have the best start for early reading.
• The designated special educational needs coordinator ensures there are secure arrangements in place to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Staff work closely with parents and other professionals to provide a consistent approach to understanding children's needs and how best to support them. This helps all children to make good progress.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• place an even sharper focus on children's next steps in learning to help them make even better progress
• support staff to use spontaneous opportunities to further extend children's learning.