Little Buds Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Staff are kind and extremely attentive at this small and welcoming nursery. This helps children to feel happy and secure. Staff know the children very well and plan an ambitious curriculum based on their individual interests and abilities. This contributes to children's enjoyment of learning. They become deeply engaged in play and consistently develop their knowledge and skills. For example, children are excited about Christmas and eager to create colourful decorations. They refine their hand-to-eye coordination as they carefully glue small 'jewels' and sequins onto paper angels. Staff talk to children about the colours, shapes and sizes of the resources. This helps them to build on their vocabularies and mathematical knowledge.

Staff have high expectations for children's behaviour and learning. They quickly identify where children may need more help to achieve all that they can. Staff provide targeted support, such as small group sessions that promote children's attention and communication skills. This helps all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those receiving funding, to become confident and successful learners. Children enjoy their independent play and are keen to learn from adults. For instance, toddlers have fun as they experiment with different ways to climb and come down the slide. They explore their own ideas and seek support from staff when needed.

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

• The manager recognises that since the COVID-19 pandemic, many children struggle to make the expected progress with their communication and language. Therefore, there is a strong focus on children's speaking and listening during the daily routines and activities. For instance, staff sing and share books with children spontaneously and during structured sessions. This helps children to hear and use a broad range of words. Staff also encourage parents to read books with their children at home to promote their language skills further.
• Staff say they feel well supported by the manager and speak enthusiastically about the positive impact of supervision sessions and training. For instance, staff describe how recent training on sensory play helps them to further enrich the learning experiences for babies.
• Children enjoy a rich curriculum, which helps them to experience the awe and wonder of the world. For instance, staff organise regular outings, such as to a library, gardens and open spaces, to help children discover their community first hand. There are also weekly visitors to the nursery, including a gardener, who teaches children how to grow and nurture plants.
• Staff encourage children to develop a sense of responsibility and independence. For example, they support children to serve their own meals and to eat using cutlery. Children show a sense of satisfaction in completing tasks, such as putting on their coats. They demonstrate that they are learning about healthy lifestyles, as they remember to wash their hands before eating and talk about their favourite healthy foods.
• Children benefit from the consistent routines and clear boundaries for behaviour. This helps them to understand what is expected, and generally their behaviour is good. Staff remind children of rules, such as walking indoors and not throwing toys. However, they do not consistently explain to children why these rules are in place to help children regulate their behaviour independently.
• Staff teach children about the diverse cultures that contribute to life in modern Britain. For instance, they arrange for parents to come into the nursery to share music, stories and artefacts from home. This helps children to understand and respect their similarities and differences.
• Parent partnerships are a key strength of the nursery. The manager and staff work hard to welcome all parents and involve them in their children's education. For example, staff provide ideas for simple activities to do at home, such as creating a rocket out of recycled materials. This helps parents to extend their children's learning. Parents state that they fully trust staff to meet their children's welfare and learning needs.
• The manager and staff build successful partnerships with other professionals and settings. For example, a speech and language therapist advises staff on how to support some children further. Staff also work closely with a local primary school to help children with their move to school.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• build further on the support staff provide to help children understand rules and regulate their behaviour.