Little Bear's Day-Care Limited

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are greeted by the nurturing staff, who know them well. They demonstrate that they feel happy and safe as they separate with ease from their parents and carers. Staff provide a range of learning experiences. They provide children with real items to touch and smell. For instance, children cut vegetables as they make imaginary soup in the role-play area. Staff use these opportunities to introduce new words, such as 'parsnip' and 'courgette'. This helps to develop children's vocabulary.

Staff plan opportunities for children to develop their physical skills. For instance, children develop their core strength as they lift and carry crates to make a bridge to walk along. Staff provide a range of learning experiences that ignite children's curiosity. They support children to develop their small hand muscles. For example, younger children mix sand and water, using various containers. Older children mix cornflour and water with paint brushes. This helps children build the strength in their hands and fingers to support their early writing skills.

Staff have high expectations of children's behaviour. They use a range of strategies to help children to manage their behaviour effectively. For instance, staff use sand timers to let children know when it is their turn. They speak calmly when children need support with their emotions. This helps to promote children's good behaviour.

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

• Leaders have worked hard with staff to develop a good curriculum based around themes and the children's interests. Staff plan a variety of activities for children. They have a clear understanding of the learning intentions within their curriculum, which is well sequenced to help children remember previous learning. All children, including those children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), make good progress in their development.
• Staff support children in their emerging understanding of mathematics. They model counting and use opportunities to extend children's mathematical language. For example, staff teach children to count as they construct a dinosaur house from blocks. Staff introduce new words and concepts, such as 'big' and 'small'. This helps children to start to compare different sizes.
• Staff know their key children well. They plan appropriate next steps and understand how to implement these in children's play. Occasionally, however, staff do not deploy themselves effectively to support all children's learning. This means children sometimes lack the interactions needed from staff to engage them in meaningful learning and play.
• Overall, staff help children develop a love of early literacy. They plan story times at the end of the nursery session. However, when children show an interest in some books, staff sometimes overlook these opportunities to encourage children to foster a greater love for books and stories.
• Staff encourage children to become independent in their self-care. Children hang their belongings up when they arrive at nursery. Staff encourage children to wash their hands and use the toilet independently. This helps children develop healthy habits for the future.
• Staff swiftly identify any children that will benefit from additional support. They work with other professionals and use advice to develop plans specific to meet the needs of the children. This helps all children make good progress from their starting points.
• Staff promote children's behaviour well. They gently remind children to use their manners and give children time to negotiate sharing resources. This helps children to manage their behaviour and develop kind friendships.
• Partnership with parents is good. Staff share information regularly with parents about their children's needs and ideas for activities to do at home. Parents report that these ideas help their children to make good progress in all areas of their development.
• Leaders are very passionate about the nursery and the team. Staff report that they feel well supported in their roles. They appreciate the support with their ongoing professional development. For example, staff report that training they have accessed to support children with SEND has helped them plan targeted intervention sessions to support children's individual needs.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• review the deployment of staff to provide purposeful interactions for children to build on their existing skills and knowledge
• support staff to enhance children's early literacy skills so that children develop a greater love of books and stories.