Little Buddies Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are happy and settled at the nursery. All children take part and get involved in activities. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) make especially good progress in their learning. This is because staff have high ambition for all children and actively adapt activities to ensure all children are included. Children with SEND enjoy experiences that stimulate their senses. For example, children enjoy the sound of banging metal plates on the table. Children with visual impairment explore through touching and feeling objects with the close support and encouragement of staff. Children become confident talkers. Staff ensure children hear meaningful language and engage them in conversation. Children in the pre-school room are starting to develop friendships with each other and learn how to play and work together as a group. For example, children work together to make collages on cardboard houses. This helps to encourage them to share and take turns.

Children behave well. Staff give children clear expectations for behaviour and there are rules in place to help keep them safe. Children follow routines that help them to feel secure and know what to expect during the day. They enjoy playing outdoors and having opportunities to be physically active and energetic. This helps to promote their good health.

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

• Staff foster children's enjoyment of looking at books and listening to stories. They engage children in lively story times. Staff use props during the story, such as giving children toys and puppets to hold which help them to understand the storyline and characters.
• Although staff support children's learning well, they are still developing a thorough understanding of the intent of the curriculum. However, although staff are developing their confidence in delivering the curriculum, they successfully build on children's knowledge and previous experiences.
• Children enjoy activities that help them to learn about colours and numbers. Children sort pieces of coloured pasta into bowls, counting each and recognising and naming the different colours. Children show their pride in finding matching colours and counting up to 10 with confidence.
• Staff who work in the baby room understand about how young babies develop. They know how to support babies to communicate. Staff encourage parents to limit the use of dummies to help stimulate babies to make sounds and learn new words.
• Children show an awareness of each other and themselves. Staff know about children's home lives and cultures and celebrate their uniqueness. There is a strong sense of community at the inclusive and welcoming nursery. In turn, this helps children to develop a sense of their own identity.
• Children display confidence and high self-esteem. All children, including babies, move around the nursery with a sense of purpose and make choices about what they play with and how they learn.
• Staff are aware that children are finding separating from their parents difficult due to the COVID-19 restrictions that have been in place. Staff give children time and attention and comfort them when they arrive at the nursery. Children settle quickly and demonstrate their affection and good relationships with staff who care for them.
• During daily activities, staff sometimes remove children to deal with their personal care, such as changing their nappies. Although this is done respectfully, children do not have chance to finish what they are doing and this disrupts their learning.
• The well-qualified staff have a wealth of experience. The manager effectively supports student staff and monitors their development closely. Staff say they have a good work/life balance and explain how much they enjoy their work.
• Staff work closely and effectively with parents. Parents say they feel that the nursery staff care and nurture the whole family. They feel confident in the progress children make and know how to support their learning at home.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• simplify the curriculum intent; making sure to embed this securely across the nursery so all staff can confidently deliver the good-quality curriculum for children
• arrange personal care routines, such as nappy changing times, so they do not disrupt children's obvious enjoyment and engagement in learning activities.