Little Beeches Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children happily enter the nursery, eager and excited. Friendly, enthusiastic staff greet them. They provide support well, ensuring children benefit from good levels of engagement throughout the day. Staff are committed to creating a safe and stimulating environment. Children have access to a wide range of activities. The interactions between staff and children are warm and positive. This helps children develop a true sense of belonging.

Children's behaviour is good. Staff use a calm and consistent approach to manage children's behaviour. They support children with praise and encouragement, helping to build their confidence and self-esteem. Children are aware of the expectations as staff maintain clear and consistent routines. For instance, a bell rings to signal it is time to tidy away toys.

The curriculum is ambitious and well structured. Staff have carefully considered the sequence in which children develop their skills across the seven areas of learning. They plan activities around themes, considering the needs and interests of the children. For instance, older children engage in sorting coloured counters, which helps them develop mathematical concepts of colours and numbers. Younger children practise fine motor skills by using various tools in the water and sand tray. Babies learn to solve problems as they place shapes in a shape sorter and repeat the actions. All children are showing good progress in their learning and development from their starting points.

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

• Staff have a clear vision of what they want children to achieve and learn. They work collaboratively with parents, gathering information regarding children's family life, interests and experiences. The designated key person for each child uses this information, in conjunction with their observations, to create engaging and stimulating activities that align with the chosen themes. Staff link with parents to ensure a seamless continuity in children's learning.
• Partnerships with parents are highly effective. Parents express great satisfaction with the care and support provided by staff, as well as the substantial progress their children make. Staff adhere closely to parental preferences such as sleeping and toileting routines. They collaborate with parents by sharing the next steps of learning and requesting information about the child's experiences.
• Staff consistently provide children with healthy snacks. In preparation for snack time, staff encourage children to develop their chopping skills on soft fruits. Children participate in creating a rainbow with various coloured fruits. Staff use this opportunity to discuss different colours and tastes and the benefits of eating a healthy diet.
• Children understand the importance of washing their hands before eating. During snack time, children pour their own drinks and select their food independently. They manage their self-care effectively, which prepares them well for school.
• Staff support babies' emotional development well. Babies thoroughly enjoy the close relationships they have with familiar staff. They smile as they snuggle their key person and enjoy this special bonding time. As a result, babies build secure relationships with their key person and other members of staff.
• Staff generally plan group times thoughtfully, with age-appropriate small-group activities that capture children's attention. For instance, staff use small-group sessions to enhance children's number recognition skills, both identifying numbers and understanding quantities. However, staff do not support children during larger group activities as well as they could. At times, some children become distracted and have difficulty maintaining their focus.
• Children demonstrate significant progress in their communication and language skills. Younger children actively participate in song and rhyme sessions, engaging with enthusiasm as they choose props and mimic actions energetically. Older children exhibit a strong interest in listening to stories. Staff consistently model appropriate language and recognise the children's curiosity as they eagerly enquire about the story.
• Leaders and staff collaborate effectively. They are committed to supporting professional development for all staff members. Leaders observe and monitor staff practices, providing regular feedback. Experienced staff members act as mentors to further support newly recruited staff to help them understand their roles and responsibilities. Staff report feeling valued and appreciate the support from leaders, who respond promptly to their needs.
• Children engage in various physical activities. Staff support children effectively in developing both large- and small-muscle skills and strength. For instance, babies practise holding different play dough tools and coordinating their movements, with staff using terms such as 'roll' and 'squish' to guide them. Younger children build the hand strength necessary for writing by engaging in drawing and colouring activities. Meanwhile, older children enhance their balance and challenge themselves outdoors on large wooden balancing beams, strengthening the muscles in their body.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• develop the organisation of larger group activities for children so they can engage and benefit from the learning experiences.