Linden Tree Nursery School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Friendly staff build strong connections with their key children, ensuring children feel safe and secure during their time at the nursery. They settle well and show an enthusiasm for learning. Babies pull themselves to standing as they use scoops to move the sand into the various pots. Staff skilfully narrate the learning as they count out the number of scoops. Older children delight in watching an ice experiment, correctly predicting the sun's role in the melting process.

Children make good progress. Staff plan opportunities linked to their interests and support them to develop skills for life. Assessments are used to identify possible gaps in development, and staff communicate planned next steps to parents to support their child's learning at home. The curriculum is ambitious for all children. It focuses on key principles for all, including connection and exploration.

Children's behaviour is good. Staff are good role models and use effective questioning to help them resolve conflicts positively, with compassion, empathy and understanding. When children struggle with regulating their emotions, practitioners take appropriate action to support them. Children are developing a sense of right and wrong as they learn to work with others. They are building the basis of good friendships as they listen to the ideas of others.

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

• Leadership is strong and consistent. This ensures a sense of calm and confidence across the nursery. Leadership is present at all levels in the rooms and teams enjoy identifying new projects and volunteering for training opportunities. They talk about their achievements with a sense of pride as they take action to support children's learning across the curriculum. Staff regularly review their practice and that of others. Staff share ideas and genuinely enjoy working as a team. Parents notice and appreciate this as they understand the impact on their child's experience at the nursery.
• An importance is placed on community through regular walks and outings. They visit the local arts centre and the local supermarket to buy ingredients to replenish the home corner resources. This helps children to understand the importance of healthy lifestyles and choices as they discuss the benefits of fruit and vegetables in their diet. Each room has an oral health station where children share daily toothbrushing. They are beginning to understand how to take care of themselves and others.
• There is a clear curriculum in all rooms sequenced to ensure children are developing new skills in line with their age and stage of development. There is a strong focus on the prime areas of learning, especially communication and language strategies. Babies develop a love of singing and conversation as adults take their time to ask questions and listen to their responses. The extensive range of books, puppets and props help children bring stories to life. They delight in taking home a range of books in multiple languages as they learn about the world around them.
• Staff support children sensitively, especially when meeting children's intimate care needs. They ask permission from children and ensure they wait for a response. Generally, they understand when to support and structure learning and when to sit back and observe. However, some staff do not use teaching strategies well enough to build upon children's curiosity in their learning and extend their language skills further.
• Staff support children to count the fingers on their hands to represent the number of trains and to name the shapes they can see in the construction area. This supports children's emerging counting skills and mathematical language. However, their knowledge of wider mathematical concepts such as measurement, weight and prediction is not fostered as well to support children's learning further.
• Relationships with parents are extremely positive. They say staff go 'above and beyond' to help parents become involved in their children's learning. Parents are invited to regular social events to find out about what their children have been learning and how they can support this at home. These events are very well attended. Parents appreciate the regular communication they have with staff. They talk about how welcoming and approachable staff are.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• strengthen staff's understanding of how to use teaching strategies to extend children's learning further
• increase opportunities to strengthen older children's awareness of broader mathematical concepts.