Little Blossoms of Barrowford

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are happy and secure in this positive and nurturing environment. They have formed strong bonds with their key adults and are eager to share their successes with them. For instance, children run proudly towards staff, throwing their arms around them to celebrate their achievements. Younger children and babies confidently seek comfort from adults and are quickly calmed. When they are upset, children allow adults to support them in resolving situations and in developing their understanding of how to manage their emotions.

Children have many opportunities to explore things first-hand, such as the squelching of their boots in the mud area or the bitter taste of lemons in the water. Children giggle with excitement as they feel the cold of the snow on their hands and calmly snuggle in to listen to stories being read aloud. These opportunities help children to experience the awe and wonder of the world in which they live and to develop a love of learning.

Children interact well with each other and are learning to take turns and to share. For instance, during snack time, they pass the bowl of fruit around and make sure that everyone has had a piece. Children peel their own orange and keep on trying even when it becomes stuck. This helps them to become independent and resilient learners.

Leaders have adapted their practice to address the impact that COVID-19 has had on children and their families. Staff have maintained strong relationships with parents, and children's well-being has remained at the heart of the nursery. For instance, parents have continued to bring their children into the rooms to ensure that they are happy and settled each morning.

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

• Children behave well and respond positively to the staff. Children enjoy helping to set the table for lunch and patiently wait in line to wash their hands. On the isolated occasions when children do struggle with their behaviour, staff manage this effectively. Staff calmly talk to children and use stories to support them to understand the impact of their behaviour on themselves or their friends.
• Staff promote good levels of hygiene. They remind children to wash their hands and teach them to use cutlery when eating. Children are developing their understanding of how to meet their own personal needs.
• Leaders have ensured that effective transition procedures are in place when children start nursery. They gather information about the child and invite parents into the setting. This helps children to form secure attachments with key staff and promotes their well-being and independence.
• Staff know the children well. They use this knowledge to design a broad curriculum which offers children learning experiences linked to their interests. Adults engage with children in their play and support their learning through modelling and rich dialogue. However, the curriculum does not always have enough focus on what individual children know and can do to ensure that teaching consistently builds on their knowledge and skills.
• Children are active in their play. They delight in pulling sledges, whisking ingredients, cutting paper with scissors and squirting water from syringes. Through these experiences, children are learning to develop their strength and precision.
• Staff communicate well with parents. They share a lot of information with parents about their child and seek the parents' views. This strengthens the relationships between home and nursery and ensures continuity in children's care, learning and development.
• Leaders ensure that all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who speak English as an additional language get the support they need. They identify any emerging needs early and engage with a range of professionals to address these needs. This helps children to overcome any potential barriers to their learning.
• Parents appreciate the support that the nursery provides to ensure that their children are happy and secure. This is particularly valued by families who are experiencing difficulties. Parents comment that the nurturing ethos of the nursery makes it feel like 'a home from home'.
• Leaders support the professional development of their staff. They ensure that staff access training which builds on their knowledge and skills over time. Leaders work alongside staff and observe and model practice. However, coaching and mentoring does not focus enough on what staff need to do to improve the quality of their teaching. This means that some staff are not always clear on their developmental targets to enhance the quality of the learning and development experiences for children to the highest level.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• improve coaching and mentoring so that staff are clear on their developmental targets to enhance the quality of the learning and development experiences for children
• further enhance the curriculum by ensuring that it consistently builds on what individual children know and can do.