Little Explorers Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are eager to come in to play. They enter a calm and welcoming environment. Staff meet the children with big smiles. Children show they feel safe and secure. They embrace staff and give them cuddles. Toddlers and pre-school-age children choose to play with dried barley. They scoop and pour the grain from bowl to bowl. Toddlers watch in awe as it falls between their fingers. Pre-school-age children know the rules and routines of the day. For example, they find a dustpan and brush, then clear away the barley when they have finished.

There is an ambitious communication and language curriculum in place. Leaders coach staff to use techniques that enhance and strengthen children's speech and language. For example, staff sing songs to babies and tap along to the beat. Babies sway to the rhythm of the music. Staff speak slowly and repeat words back to toddlers to improve their pronunciation. They carry out letters and sounds activities with toddlers and pre-school-age children. Staff help them tune into sounds and improve their listening skills. Pre-school-age children love to read storybooks with staff. They identify the words on the front of the book as 'the title'. Staff pause and ask these children about what may happen in the story. Pre-school-age children are imaginative. They offer explanations about what may happen to the characters in the story.

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

• Toddlers and pre-school-age children are independent. They go to wash their hands before snack time and help lay the table. Toddlers and pre-school-age children persevere to pick up fruit with tongs and count each piece they take. They develop their finger dexterity while they spread butter on their toast. Staff encourage toddlers and pre-school-age children to 'have a go' first and offer support when needed. These children develop good levels of self-esteem. They are proud when they manage to do tasks on their own.
• Babies make good progress in their physical development. Staff plan the environment to help babies negotiate obstacles and improve their spatial awareness. For example, babies crawl over soft-play equipment. They walk up and down small soft-play steps. Babies strengthen their core and smile as they keep their balance and stay upright. At other times, babies practise their hand-eye coordination and hang bracelets on top of a mug tree.
• Staff broaden toddlers' and pre-school-age children's understanding of textures and materials. They provide sensory activities for children to explore. However, staff do not always organise adult-led activities to keep toddlers and pre-school-age children engaged and focused on their learning. For example, staff provide foam for children to investigate. At times, staff do not play alongside these children to extend their learning. Although children are curious initially, they lose interest and wander off.
• Staff support pre-school-age children to talk about their emotions. They read books to children who have a new baby at home. This helps children express their feelings. However, staff do not consistently support some pre-school-age children to develop their personal, social and emotional skills to form stronger relationships with others. For example, staff do not facilitate enough opportunities for less confident children to join in activities with their friends. At times, this prevents some children from building more positive relationships.
• Staff support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) very effectively. They identify ways to help children with SEND interact with the world around them. For example, staff use hand signs to aid communication with all children. Verbal and non-verbal children respond positively to this. Children communicate with staff by using these hand signs back to them.
• Leaders provide ongoing professional development opportunities for staff to improve their practice. For example, staff attend training on promoting children's early reading. Afterwards, staff provide a lending library for children and make 'story sacks' with them to take home. Following this, staff notice that children show more motivation to listen to stories.
• Parents comment highly on the progress their children make at nursery. They welcome the advice they receive from staff on their children's sleeping and eating. Parents praise the liaison with other settings children attend. They state their children make good progress in their speech because staff deliver consistency in teaching.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• organise adult-led activities to keep toddlers and pre-school-age children engaged and focused on their learning
• support pre-school-age children to develop their personal, social and emotional skills further, to form stronger relationships with others.