Little Ducklings Nursery Garstang Ltd

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are happy and enjoy their time at the bright nursery where staff welcome them warmly. Children separate from their parents with ease, feeling safe in the care of the friendly staff. Staff plan a wide range of enticing activities which support children to make good progress in all areas of their learning. For example, children make glittery potions, filling and stirring their mixtures as they practise hand-eye coordination skills. They delight in pumpkin themed experiments. Staff make good use of key vocabulary in their interactions. Children then use those key words in their play demonstrating their good understanding.

Staff focus on supporting children to discuss their emotions and to recognise how their behaviour affects others. Staff offer lots of praise to children for kind actions. Consequently, behaviour is generally good, and children are keen to help each other. Staff support children to understand the routines at nursery. There are visual displays and staff use songs to indicate different activities such as tidying-up time. Older children understand staff's expectations and are happy to help. Children benefit from links with the local community. For instance, they visit elderly neighbours and enjoy visits from a local police officer. This helps them to learn more about others and their community.

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

• The provider has a clear vision for the family-run nursery. Their enthusiasm is shared by staff, many of whom have been with the team for many years. Staff are valued and their opinions are sought out in regular meetings and team-building days. Staff training is varied and is targeted to enhance children's learning. Children benefit from staff's enthusiasm for their roles.
• Effective procedures to monitor and assess children's progress help staff to intervene early where gaps emerge. Consistent strategies mean less referrals for outside support are needed. Gaps in children's learning are quickly closed helping children to make good progress in all areas of learning.
• Specific sessions for older children help them to learn the skills they will need when they move on to school. For instance, structured and interactive group time supports children's concentration and confidence. Children learn early literacy and mathematics skills which give them a solid foundation for their future learning. The pre-school programme builds gradually so that children are ready for school when the time comes.
• Staff demonstrate commitment to children who require additional support for their individual needs. They make adjustments to the nursery environment and activities to ensure that all children can participate fully. Staff work with health care professionals to gain a good understanding of how to support children's specific needs. All children make good progress from their individual starting points.
• Children's physical development is well supported. Babies enjoy climbing on low play equipment, practising their new physical skills. Children pedal bicycles proficiently and staff help them to balance and jump on an obstacle course in the outdoor area. Daily outdoor play means that children get plenty of fresh air. Children's overall well-being is well promoted.
• Staff read and sing with children. They use signs as they talk and sing, helping children to develop and link their language skills. Books are well loved at nursery. Children find cosy areas to look at books independently and share favourite stories with their parents through the well-used lending library. Children's communication skills are well promoted, and they are chatty and confident.
• Activities are engaging and support children's progress. However, occasionally staff do not fully extend children's understanding and quench their thirst for learning fully. For instance, while children enjoy experiments, staff do not always discuss the facts and science behind what they are seeing. This does not always fully support the delivery of the broad and interesting curriculum in a suitably ambitious manner.
• Routines of the day support children's independence skills and help older children to understand staff's expectations. For instance, they help to set the table for lunch and listen well to instructions. Expectations for babies and younger children are less clear. For instance, resources frequently left on the baby room floor mean that babies often stand on toys. Staff pick younger children up, when they could walk or participate in activities with their friends. This hinders babies' and younger children's understanding of expectations at nursery.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support staff to deliver the curriculum in a consistently ambitious manner
• support staff to help younger children understand expectations of them through everyday routines and activities.