Little Agnes Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children enter this safe and secure setting happily, ready to begin their day. Babies hold out their arms to their key person, eager to explore what the baby room has on offer. Older children come in chatting about what they have been up to since their last session. Leaders have developed a well-constructed curriculum for children. This is securely embedded within the rooms, providing children with a varied range of experiences that take account of their interests. Children quickly settle at an activity. They are curious and show sustained levels of focus and engagement.

Children's behaviour is good. Staff have ensured that children understand the setting's 'rainbow rules' of being gentle, sharing resources and listening with respect to others. Children play cooperatively together and they share ideas to develop games.

Staff promote children's independence in all areas of self-care. Children are offered lots of praise and encouragement. They develop skills of resilience and confidence as staff allow them the time to problem solve independently.

Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are well supported within the setting. The setting works in partnership with parents and other agencies to ensure children's individual needs are met.

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

• There is a strong focus on an effective key-person system within the nursery. Children settle quickly and form strong attachments. Staff know children well. They make accurate records of their starting points when they join the nursery. Staff are aware of what children know and can do, and what it is they need to learn next. Children are well prepared for the next stage of their learning.
• Overall, this bilingual English/French nursery promotes the development of language and communication skills well. Children are exposed equally to both languages through song, stories, and narrative. Children hear lots of repetition. Occasionally, staff caring for the babies do not always use the correct pronunciation of words when teaching new vocabulary. For example, staff refer to soap as 'duckie' due to the picture on the bottle or simplify animal names.
• Children develop a love of books and early literacy skills. Stories are shared in groups and individually. Staff are enthusiastic and bring theatre and drama to storytelling to really engage and capture children's attention. Older children can retell familiar stories, repeating key phrases perfectly. Recently introduced weekly trips to the library expose children to a wider selection of reading material.
• Children are independent thinkers. They are confident within the environment and negotiate the different experiences and activities on offer with real enthusiasm. However, for older and most-able children there is not always enough challenge to continue to expand their existing knowledge and skills.
• The nursery promotes healthy lifestyles. Healthy meals and snacks are freshly prepared daily on site. Although the nursery has no garden, outings happen twice a day, so children can enjoy the local area and green spaces. As children return from a walk to Vauxhall City Farm, they delight in sharing their excitement at having fed the goats and pigs.
• Children's emotional well-being is supported. Children learn the effect their actions have on others and show care and concern for one other. Children talk about their feelings and learn the names of different emotions they experience. Friday afternoon yoga sessions allow children to finish the week in a calm and relaxing way.
• The nursery is situated within a diverse community. Fundamental British values are promoted, and children and staff treat each other with kindness and respect. Children listen to each other, taking turns to share their opinions. Resources reflect different family dynamics and cultural backgrounds, allowing all children to see themselves positively represented.
• Parent partnership is excellent. Parents speak extremely highly of the setting. They describe staff as experienced, knowledgeable, and extremely kind and caring. Parents feel the nursery communicates with them extremely well via the use of an app, weekly memos, and daily verbal feedback.
• The potential for further professional development and the promotion of staff well-being is a strength in leadership and management. Staff feel valued and supported.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• ensure that all staff use the correct pronunciation of words when teaching children new vocabulary
• ensure that the curriculum for children is ambitious and provides children with opportunities to challenge what they already know and can do.