Little Einsteins Day Nursery Ltd

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children thrive and make exceptional progress in this excellent child-centred, language-rich environment. They are visibly excited to attend as they happily enter the nursery and greet their friends. Children quickly settle and join in activities of their choice. The knowledgeable staff know all children exceptionally well. They have a detailed knowledge of what children are interested in and what they need to achieve next. They seamlessly weave this through everything that children do. Staff are highly motivated and have high expectations for children. They ensure that teaching is pitched at the highest level to engage children and support their learning. Staff confidently use visual prompts and strategies, including Makaton, as part of their communication and language programme. Children have great fun throughout the day with their friends. For example, they shout out in excitement as they enter the forest school. They demonstrate that they feel extremely safe and cared for by fully engaging in all activities, with adults and their peers. Huge smiles and squeals of delight can be seen and heard throughout the day.

Children's behaviour is excellent. They learn to manage their feelings and emotions and treat each other with kindness. For those children who enjoy some quiet, reflective time, staff have created a 'calming corner'. Children flourish through the secure emotional attachments which are established with nurturing staff. Children are provided with healthy home-cooked meals and snacks expertly prepared by the nursery cook.

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

• Staff's knowledge and skills in supporting children's learning and development are excellent. They provide a well-planned and sequenced curriculum that supports children's individual learning. Staff incorporate learning opportunities into stimulating and challenging activities, based on children's interests and needs. For example, children show excellent determination as they learn to recycle waste products, climb trees, catch balls, balance on logs and use scissors correctly. Children are making excellent progress from their starting points, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities.
• Children are exceptionally well prepared for their move from room to room and on to school. Staff support children's understanding of what makes them and others unique. Children learn about their own cultural heritage and about the local community and the natural world around them. For example, they talk about the Queen and her 'sparkling jewelled crown' as they plan a 'jubilee party'.
• The management team and staff work in strong partnership with parents. They keep parents fully informed about their child's learning and development. Parents meet regularly with their child's key person. This ensures that parents know that children are making good progress, and staff share ideas for activities that parents can do at home to extend their children's learning. Parents cannot praise the staff enough. They are eternally grateful for obtaining professional help when needed, and they are extremely pleased with the progress their children make, which they say is 'down to the staff in the nursery'.
• Managers are exceptional in using children's additional funding, including during the COVID-19 pandemic. They provide parents with a food bank, clothes and other resources to ensure children and families are valued during difficult times.
• Children's progress is constantly monitored. Leaders initiate referrals to ensure that interventions are obtained when necessary. This results in children making exceptional headway in their development. Children's health and medical needs are catered for with precision, which enables children to participate fully in the routines of the setting.
• The management team has a clear vision and ethos and focuses sharply on continually evolving the outstanding facilities available. In addition, the high priority on supporting staff's professional development continuously maintains the high quality of education children receive. Managers offer staff every opportunity to develop their skills and knowledge to enhance children's learning. Staff comment how much they value individual meetings with the management team and how it supports their well-being. Staff are happy and highly motivated in their roles and responsibilities.
• Children are provided with excellent opportunities to help develop their physical and exploratory skills. They enjoy lots of outdoor play, and staff use this area well to plan exciting activities. Children learn to sit quietly in groups. They listen attentively when others speak, and spontaneously sing songs and rhymes. Older children count securely from one to 10 and learn a range of mathematical language.
• Staff use children's favourite books to increase their concentration and attention span and build on their love of reading. Children enthusiastically join in and staff model clear pronunciation, which further enhances children's speech and language skills. For example, older children love talking about the 'Earth story' and discuss the colourful adventures across mountains, rivers, jungles and oceans.