Little 1 Nursery Ltd

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are warmly welcomed into the home-from-home setting. Staff recognise the importance of the key-person approach they use to support children's emotional security. This is a strength of the nursery. For instance, staff implement individual routines for babies and toddlers to support them as they move to the nursery. Children show that they feel happy and safe as they eagerly engage with staff during play and turn to them for comfort and reassurance when needed.

Leaders and staff have high expectations for all children. The nursery environment is organised well. Leaders create a curriculum to support the needs of all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Staff create activities and play experiences that children enjoy. This helps children to develop positive attitudes to learning and sustains their concentration in activities that interest them. For instance, pre-schoolers mix mud and herbs together as they create 'cakes'. They play happily alongside peers, sharing spoons and pots, and they talk to staff about what they are making. Staff promote children's physical well-being. All children have plentiful opportunities for active play outdoors. For instance, toddlers practise walking along different surfaces on low-level beams. Older children navigate around their peers on ride-on bicycles and scooters. This helps to build on children's good coordination, while also promoting confidence and a 'can-do' attitude.

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

• Leaders and staff place a strong focus on children's personal, social and emotional development. Key staff take responsibility for individual children. They gain information about children's unique interests and care needs, and they tailor these to mirror home routines. Staff understand children's needs and develop warm, trusting relationships to support their well-being. Parents speak highly of the key-person roles that staff take and how this helps children, including those who are younger and less confident, settle into the nursery.
• Leaders have a clear vision for the curriculum. They have recently reviewed the aspirations for the nursery, which are shared with staff. Long-term aims are clearly known. However, where staff are newer to their roles, the understanding of children's next steps in learning is not yet fully embedded. At times, some activities are planned to support children's unique interests, but are not fully tailored to help staff consistently focus teaching on want they want children to learn next.
• Support for children with SEND is a strength of the nursery. Parents say that staff work tirelessly to ensure the needs of their children are met, including as they move to other educational settings. Staff build highly effective partnership working with other professionals. They take account of advice and follow shared strategies to support children. Additional funding is used to support one-to-one care, where children need this. Staff help children with SEND progress well from their starting points.
• Children are excited to learn and develop a positive attitude to learning. They follow their own interests, developing curiosity in activities staff provide and through spontaneous play. For instance, as pre-schoolers sit with friends for story time, they share how tigers and lions are part of the cat family. When children make paper aeroplanes they experiment with how far they can throw them and guess whose will go the furthest. However, sometimes, staff do not fully consider opportunities to deepen older and most able children's knowledge and understanding to an even higher level.
• Children enjoy being able to complete some routines for themselves. Staff recognise the value of independence for children and readily involve them in routines that build on these skills. For instance, babies learn how to feed themselves as staff give them time to master their coordination skills. Toddlers and pre-schoolers take responsibility for tidying away cups and plates, washing up after they have finished meals and snacks. Children learn how to keep their rooms tidy, putting away toys after they have finished playing. This helps to build children's confidence in their own abilities and enhances their independence.
• Staff encourage children to live a healthy lifestyle. They promote children's healthy eating through nutritiously balanced meals and drinks provided throughout the day. Staff plan and provide opportunities for children to spend time outside in active play. Children develop their core muscles as they climb, balance, run and jump confidently. These opportunities further children's understanding of the importance of healthy lifestyles.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• strengthen staff's understanding of the curriculum intent, so that they can precisely target children's next steps in learning
• make consistent use of opportunities to deepen and extend older and more able children's knowledge.