Little Acorns Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Given children's starting points and the impact that lockdowns have had on their development, children are making good progress. Children are happy, settled and arrive eager to start their learning. Children excitedly talk with staff about events with their families at the weekend. Younger children respond well to staff's questions that help them to recall past events and develop language skills, which for the majority are slightly delayed. Older children confidently recite spells in a book, learning about rhythm and rhyming. Babies are highly confident and respond well to carrying out tasks at mealtimes, such as handing out water to their less-mobile friends. This helps to build on children's personal and social development as well as physical skills that have all been slightly delayed.

Children have consistent support to develop their small muscles. For example, throughout the nursery, children learn to peel their oranges for snack and pour their drinks, among other activities. Children develop skills, such as being able to put their coats and shoes on. They respond extremely well to praise, which helps them to challenge themselves further to develop their skills. Children thoroughly enjoy exploring and experimenting with the mud kitchen. They skilfully use a range of utensils to mix and transport the mixture to different places. This further helps to support children's physical development.

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

• The manager and staff have an excellent understanding of the community children live in. They effectively use this information to help staff plan highly tailored activities to meet children's individual needs. For example, they make sure anxious children have safe places to learn, and staff use simple sentences for children to understand and learn from. With the most-capable children, staff use more-complex language, helping to provide challenge to aid children's progress.
• Staff are highly skilled in teaching children respect for adults and each other. Children are extremely alert to the feelings of their friends and how their actions can impact others. Staff are very consistent in their approach to behaviour management. Children behave exceptionally well.
• The care and support of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities is a key strength. Staff work closely with parents and other agencies to set targets for children to work towards. Staff are fully aware of the positive impact the sensory room has on the children's development. They effectively use these resources to support children's language development as well as their personal and social development.
• At times, staff are not fully mindful of others carrying out activities with children. For example, they will not wait until staff have finished an activity before they interrupt to ask a question. This, at times, causes staff to lose focus and not provide the best learning experience they can for children.
• The manager is fully aware of the importance of staff well-being and personal development. Recent training has helped staff to support children with autism. Staff work with the special educational needs coordinator to provide high-quality activities to help progress children's learning.
• Staff are highly mindful of children's differing needs. They plan activities that support both the most- and less-able children, allowing all abilities of children to progress with their learning and development. The quality of education is good.
• Parents say they are very happy with the care their children are getting. They can see the children are making good progress. Parents also comment that staff are highly diligent with regards to safeguarding and keeping children safe.
• The manager and staff have a clear vision for the setting. They are all fully aware of their roles in meeting children's individual needs and progressing their learning and development. They are highly conscious of the impact that lockdowns have had on children's learning and development, and plan activities to help them to catch up with their learning.
• Staff carry out regular risk assessments to help to keep children safe. Staff worked closely with pest control to remove risks to children. Staff also work closely with Public Health to keep children and staff safe during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Leaders have recently used community funding to make improvements to the outside play spaces. They are fully aware of how children learn in different ways and how some children may not have direct access to outside learning at home.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• reduce interruptions of staff who are engaged in teaching activities to enhance children's learning.