Lime Tree Day Nursery Sileby

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Staff provide an exceptionally warm welcome as children arrive at the setting. Children confidently leave their parents and go off to explore interesting activities with their friends. Staff know the children well and form strong relationships. This helps all children to feel safe and secure. Children who are new to the setting settle quickly. For example, in the baby room, children are sensitively reassured and quickly engage with play experiences. They are motivated to play with textured materials and smile and babble as they put different materials on their hands and heads. Staff are observant of children's needs. They play alongside children to stimulate their curiosity and encourage further learning. Children develop positive self-esteem as staff recognise and praise their achievements.

Staff have high expectations of children's behaviour. Children learn how to share and play cooperatively from an early age. Staff are positive role models and encourage children to use polite manners. Older children consistently say 'please' and 'thank you' as they serve themselves at lunchtime. Staff understand children's stages of development and know what they need to learn next. Through a well-planned curriculum, they build on children's knowledge and experiences, preparing them for the next stage of learning. Children display high levels of independence throughout the day. They pour drinks and wash their hands, while older children put on their coats and skilfully fasten the zips.

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

• The provider is reflective and accurately identifies areas for improvement. Leaders and managers have worked collaboratively with the staff team to further develop the learning environments throughout the setting. This has helped to promote children's curiosity and enable them to freely explore the wide range of natural resources that are available.
• Parents value the regular and detailed information they receive from staff. This supports parents to understand the experiences children have at the nursery and the progress they are making. Parents comment that staff provide ideas and suggestions, so they can extend children's learning at home.
• Staff skilfully create inviting areas that draw children in and encourage them to engage with others. For example, younger children enjoy looking at books with adults and use words and sounds as they turn each page. However, during group story times with older children, staff do not consistently extend children's vocabulary by introducing them to new or more challenging words.
• Staff promote children's physical development effectively. They offer an exciting range of activities that encourage children to be active and extend their whole-body movements. For example, babies are motivated to crawl to reach toys they want to play with. Younger children learn how to safely climb up and down stairs. Older children develop their strength and coordination by digging in the garden area.
• Overall, staff interact effectively with children to develop their communication and social skills. Younger children make eye contact and delight in repeating noises and sounds as staff talk to them. Children enjoy mealtimes and readily join in conversations with one another. However, occasionally staff undertake other duties during snack time, which prevents them from fully engaging with children.
• Staff ensure that children's health is a priority. Children learn about the importance of good oral health as they discuss cleaning their teeth and enjoy a visit from the dentist. Children benefit from eating freshly prepared, nutritious meals. Staff have a secure understanding of children's individual dietary needs. Older children learn how to make healthy choices as staff plan activities to introduce foods that are good for them. Children have fun as they explore new and exotic fruits and learn how to prepare a fruit salad.
• Staff support children's awareness of the wider community by taking them on regular outings around the village. They have opportunities to join in activities at the local library where they learn rhymes and sing songs. Staff involve children and families in local charity work and organise collections of winter clothing for families who may be experiencing hardship. This helps children to appreciate the needs of other people.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• strengthen staff's interactions at snack time, so all children gain the most from the learning opportunities
• support staff to further extend children's language skills during group activities.