Little Chicks Day Nursery and Wraparound Care

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Promoting children's emotional well-being is placed at the heart of this nursery's ethos. Staff spend time getting to know children's individual needs right from the start. Despite many children being new, staff have an excellent understanding of how best to support them. This is particularly evident with children who have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Children with SEND form very secure attachments to the staff, especially their key person. This helps them to feel secure at nursery.

Staff support children to develop a positive attitude to learning. They provide a bespoke curriculum which is focused heavily on communication and language development. Leaders recognise the different ways that children learn language and plan for their unique needs. They implement sign language, objects of reference and communication boards as key features of their curriculum. This helps all children to communicate in their preferred way. Group times give children the opportunity to take part in familiar songs and rhymes. Staff use props to help them engage and concentrate. They recognise quickly when children have difficulty in group activities and support them to access the same opportunity from different areas of the playroom. Children develop good listening and attention skills and make progress in their learning.

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

• Leaders plan an ambitious, well-sequenced curriculum. They focus on ensuring the prime areas of learning are embedded before planning for the specific areas. Overall, the curriculum is implemented effectively. Staff know what they want children to learn and how to achieve it. However, they do not always recognise when some children need more adult interaction to further their learning. Consequently, some children spend too long in free play that does not extend their existing skills and knowledge.
• Children's physical development is promoted well. They have daily access to the outdoor area and opportunities to explore the indoor soft play. Staff narrate a lot and introduce words, such as jump, faster and slower to describe what children are doing. They encourage children to be aware of their surroundings and manage their own risk. Children develop good physical strength and awareness of their bodies.
• Staff teach children about the rules and boundaries of the nursery. They remind children to share, take turns and to help at tidy-up time. Children follow instructions well and respond to non-verbal cues, such as the timer for routine changes. They learn about what is expected of them at nursery and behave very well.
• Children develop a range of independence skills appropriate to their age. They self-serve their meals, scrape their plates and wash their own hands. Leaders support children to make choices about their play, using flash cards and communication boards. This helps children to develop some of the skills needed for the next stage in their learning.
• Staff promote children's literacy development well. They read books that children are familiar with and encourage them to be involved in story time. Children are keen to engage and talk about what will happen next, such as the caterpillar turning into a butterfly. They are confident to share their views and ask questions. This helps staff to test out children's understanding of the story in preparation for future learning.
• Support for children with SEND is a strength. Leaders have a wealth of experience with SEND and use their knowledge to shape the practice at the nursery. They respond swiftly when children start nursery with gaps in learning and implement targeted intervention plans. Leaders recognise the importance of supporting children's sensory needs and adapt the environment accordingly. This helps children with SEND to stay happy and regulated at nursery. Children make good progress from their individual starting points.
• Parents are very happy with the quality of care provided. Staff provide home visits when children first start to help them get to know the family. They collect information about children's development which helps them to plan effectively from the start. Parents receive updates about children's progress and how they can support learning at home. This two-way flow of information contributes to the good progress children make and provides consistency in their care.
• The newly appointed staff team feel happy and supported in their roles. They receive a thorough induction and have attended some training courses. Leaders have implemented some procedures for supervision, but these are still in their infancy. Staff do not have targets for development specific to their individual performance. Consequently, there are some inconsistencies in the delivery of the curriculum.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support staff to recognise when some children need more help and encouragement to extend their existing skills and knowledge
• strengthen the procedures for staff development to provide more consistency in the delivery of the curriculum.