Little Explorers Day Nursery and Preschool

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children arrive happy and keen to start their day at the nursery. They are greeted by familiar staff and separate confidently from their parents or carers. Children settle quickly and make their own play choices from a good range of resources, showing they feel safe and secure. They develop strong relationships with the kind and nurturing staff who are attentive to their needs.

Children are eager to learn, and they enjoy the activities offered to them. Enthusiastic staff plan exciting and challenging activities that motivate children to learn. Staff extend children's learning by questioning and introducing new ideas. For example, as children pour water down the guttering, staff support children to discover how the heights of the guttering can change the speed of the water. Babies enjoy the well-thought-out space that promotes their physical development. Staff encourage babies to crawl under tunnels and up small ramps and pull themselves to stand, in preparation for walking. Staff eagerly dance along with toddlers to action songs, supporting children to jump up and down and wave their arms energetically.

Children behave well and staff are good role models. Staff speak gently to children and demonstrate how to treat others respectfully. They support children to learn how to share and take turns as they play. This helps children to make friends and include others in their play.

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

• Staff plan an ambitious and broad curriculum to meet children's individual needs and include the interests of all children. Staff know their children well. They know where children are in their learning and they have a clear understanding of what they want children to learn next. They use this information when they plan for children's learning, supporting all children to make good progress.
• Children's communication and language are well supported. Staff provide a language-rich environment. Children show a love of reading. From a young age, children choose their favourite books, which staff read to them enthusiastically. Staff develop children's vocabulary well, which supports their overall learning. They recognise when children may need extra support with speech and language. Staff make swift referrals and quickly put actions in place to ensure that children's learning is supported.
• Staff plan topics to help children learn about different faiths, religions and cultures. However, they do not help children to revisit previous learning to embed their knowledge.
• Staff consistently weave mathematical learning into children's activities. For example, staff support children to count out the dots on the ladybird, comparing amounts and recognising numbers. During water play, staff talk about capacity, asking children to measure if there is more or less water in their containers.
• Mealtimes are social occasions at the nursery. Staff and children sit together and chat happily to each other. Healthy meals are prepared by the nursery cook, who ensures children's dietary requirements are met. Staff encourage children to serve their own food and use jugs to pour their own drinks. They develop good hygiene routines, knowing to wash their hands before eating.
• Staff support children's independence effectively. Children follow routines, hanging up their coats and bags and placing water bottles where they can be easily reached. Children learn to identify hazards. Children are allocated as 'garden safety rangers' to ensure the garden is safe to use before all the children go out to play.
• Partnerships with parents are strong. Parents speak highly of the nursery and the progress their children make. They receive regular information, which keeps them up to date with their child's development. They particularly like the special occasion stay-and-play days, such as the Father's Day event.
• Leaders have a clear focus and know what they need to do to improve. They support staff's professional development so that they can develop their teaching skills. Managers and experienced staff model good practice and quality interactions for those staff who are less experienced. However, less experienced staff are not yet fully supported to understand how to provide more challenge for children and extend their learning.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• help staff to embed children's learning of different faiths, religions and cultures
• support less experienced staff to fully understand how to extend learning and challenge children as they play.