Little Bam Bams Curiosity Village

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Leaders have made significant improvements since the last inspection. They have worked hard to improve experiences for children. Children show confidence in the nursery environment and are keen to choose something to play with from the resources which are easily accessible to them. Babies seek out soft toys and squeeze them to cuddle them. They make 'ahhh' sounds as they hold the toys tightly. Staff stay close to babies and support them as they practise pulling themselves up on purposely positioned low furniture. Babies smile as they manage to stand with support. They have plenty of opportunities to develop their physical skills because the space has been thoughtfully planned for them to move around freely.

Older children delight in a game of hide and seek. They hide their faces behind cushions as staff count before coming to find them. Children wriggle with excitement as they hear staff coming to find them. As staff discover where they are, children jump and laugh with enjoyment. Children then swap roles and count as staff hide from them. They practise their counting skills as they count from one to ten in order. They are proud of their victory when they find where staff have hidden.

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

• Leaders have designed a curriculum which progressively builds on what children have already learned. This supports children's ongoing learning as they transition from one room to another.
• Children develop their independence. Even young children are beginning to serve their own food at mealtimes. After eating, children are given 'jobs' to do. They take plates to the kitchen, help to clean tables, and put drinking bottles away. Children practise their independence skills as they attempt to put their own socks and shoes on and begin to take care of their own personal care needs as they wash their hands after using the toilet. This helps children to become self-sufficient.
• Staff plan enjoyable activities for children. They use what they know about children's interests and developmental stages to offer a range of learning opportunities. However, staff do not always know how to extend learning opportunities for children even further. Children, therefore, sometimes disengage and lose interest in what they are doing.
• Children follow well-established routines. They know that they need to wash their hands and tidy up before mealtimes and willingly do this when staff ask them to. There are times, however, when children sit for prolonged periods at tables waiting for food at mealtimes. Staff attempt to keep children occupied by singing songs to them, but babies in particular begin to get frustrated.
• Children behave well. They show respect to one another and adults. Staff remind them of behaviour expectations and support children to resolve disagreements. For example, when children struggle to share toys, staff explain that there are enough for all children and help them to distribute them fairly. Children respond well to staff and disagreements are resolved quickly.
• Parents comment positively about the care their children receive. They acknowledge the improvements which have been made since the last inspection and are happy with the difference this has made. They particularly mention the improvements in the communication they now receive about their children's day in nursery. They say that they feel listened to, and their children are happy to attend.
• Leaders know how to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). They identify delays in children's development and seek support from external agencies when required. They work closely with parents, so that any support which is put into place for children is implemented consistently.
• Staff undertake training which improves their knowledge and skills. Leaders identify areas of development for staff according to the needs of the children in the nursery. However, what has been learned on training is not yet fully implemented in practice across the nursery. This means that children are not fully benefitting from improved learning experiences.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• look at the way routines are managed to ensure children are not waiting for prolonged periods of time, particularly at mealtimes
• support staff to implement what they have learned on training into the learning experiences they offer children
• review how activities are planned and delivered, so that children's learning can be extended even further.