Little Angels Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The manager has envisioned a broad and carefully sequenced curriculum in this welcoming and purposeful nursery. Staff successfully implement the curriculum by following children's interests and gradually weave learning opportunities into their daily routine. This helps to ensure that they embed skills across all areas of learning.

Staff have high ambitions for children's progress and instil values of kindness and respect. Children speak and listen politely to one another as they play and interact. They are learning to form good relationships with their peers and work alongside each other companionably.

Staff act as positive role models and have high expectations for children's behaviour and learning. They are enthusiastic and caring and place a strong emphasis on getting to know the children and their families when they first start. Children demonstrate a strong sense of belonging and form secure attachments with the staff. This helps to support their emotional well-being.

Opportunities for outdoor play are plentiful. Children demonstrate good physical dexterity as they climb, balance and run freely around the secure outdoor area. Staff teach children to take appropriate risks and challenges as they play, building their confidence and resilience and giving them a sense of achievement when they succeed. Children smile with pride as they receive praise for their efforts and are developing positive attitudes to learning.

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

• The manager is committed to providing a high standard of care and education for children in the local community. Children who speak English as an additional language progress well. Staff liaise with parents and learn words in their home language to help children develop a good grasp of English. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), are provided with tailored support and detailed individual plans. This helps all children to make good progress.
• Staff understand the importance of reading books and singing songs to support children's developing language skills. Story times are well delivered. Staff read with enthusiasm and encourage children to join in with the actions to familiar songs. Children are learning to listen carefully and enjoy using new words.
• Younger children delight in their sensory play and strengthen their muscles as they explore the texture of sand with hand-held tools. Staff introduce toy farm animals to the sand and repeat the words 'cow' and 'pig', replicating the sounds they make. Staff use good facial expressions and are nurturing and receptive to children's needs. This helps to promote their physical and emotional well-being.
• Children demonstrate a secure knowledge of the daily routine. For instance, during a well-organised lunchtime, children know to tidy up, wash their hands and go upstairs to the lunch room. They sit politely at the table, eagerly awaiting their sausage, mashed potato and vegetables. Staff support younger children to use age-appropriate cutlery effectively and cut up their sausages. Older children practise self-serving and show intense concentration as they pour their own gravy. All children wipe their own faces afterwards and receive praise for good eating. Children are learning healthy eating habits and are becoming increasingly independent in managing their personal needs.
• The manager has forged strong relationships with external professionals to support children with SEND. However, building relationships with the schools that the children will be attending has not been a priority. Nor has the manager fully developed the information sharing process during other transitions, such as when children move from one room to the next. This does not help to promote effective and smooth transitions for the children's next stages of learning.
• The manager is reflective and accurately identifies areas for improvement. She acknowledges that there is more to be done to strengthen partnerships and is actively looking for ways to engage with parents. While there have been efforts to support parents in extending their children's learning at home, they have not been consistent. This does not assist parents in furthering their children's development. Nevertheless, parents speak highly of the nursery and comment on the progress their children have made.
• The manager is highly appreciative of the staff and places a strong emphasis on their well-being. She has implemented a regular programme of supervision and offers staff a choice of training to enhance their practice. Furthermore, she has ensured training is sharply focused on the individual children's needs to enhance the quality of education. This helps to promote good outcomes for all children.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• strengthen the transition process so that children are fully prepared for their next stages in learning
• further develop partnerships with parents and offer them more ways to continue their children's learning at home.