Little Fishes Nursery School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children confidently enter the setting and know what is expected of them. For example, they understand where to store their belongings. Children are curious learners. They explore with enthusiasm the stimulating environment that staff provide for them. Staff are readily available to read stories to children and to play alongside them. Children respond positively to staff and listen to instructions and requests. For instance, they gather for a morning circle time to say hello to their friends. Staff encourage children to be kind and caring to each other.

Children show they enjoy being at the setting. There are lots of smiles and laughter as they play together. Staff encourage siblings to play with each other as well as develop their own friendships. They offer lots of warm praise and celebrate children's achievements. Staff support children's emotional well-being effectively.

Leaders have high aspirations for children and have planned a clear curriculum designed to teach children a range of skills. This supports children's next steps in learning now and for when they move on to school. Staff successfully implement this curriculum. For example, they encourage children to be independent from the earliest days by making choices. Children show increasing confidence in managing their own needs.

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

• Leaders and staff carefully monitor children's progress. This allows them to swiftly identify when children may need additional support for their learning. Staff work effectively as a team to close any gaps children have. For instance, they all know which children need extra help with their communication. Staff use a range of strategies to help children understand, such as through using signs and gestures. This helps all children to be able to communicate their wants and needs.
• Staff plan to build on what children already know and can do. They notice when children make links to previous learning, such as when children remember planting seeds. Staff encourage children to recall past experiences and help them to develop new learning. Children benefit from a range of additional experiences at the setting. For instance, they regularly take part in cooking and forest play sessions. Staff extend what children learn during these sessions, such as by following a recipe in role play. They support children's learning well through lively discussions and during play.
• Children show they feel safe with staff and want to be with them. Staff recognise when children need help to manage their feelings and emotions and step in swiftly to offer this. They have implemented a range of different approaches across the setting to help children regulate their behaviour. However, at times, this means staff step away from children who are engaged in their learning. Occasionally, children then lose focus and do not fully benefit from planned teaching.
• Staff know children well and plan a good variety of activities that support their interests and spark their curiosity. For example, they explore space. Children look at different planets and rockets, and mix 'space soup' as they play in sand. At times, however, staff do not fully consider how children can test out their own ideas. For instance, children do not have the opportunity to explore how to fix materials together. Children are not always supported fully to develop and explore their own thinking.
• Leaders have clear plans for continuous improvements and developments. Additional funding is used to positively impact what they offer to children at the setting. For example, children benefit from weekly physical development sessions from an external company. Staff comment on how much confidence children now have to use their fine and gross motor skills.
• Staff work closely with parents to support children's learning. Staff readily share ideas with parents, such as through coffee mornings, family outings and parent workshops. Parents comment very favourably about the nurturing environment that staff provide for their children. They say their children are 'thriving' and have seen a notable increase in their confidence since being in the staff's care. Parents report on the effort staff make to build strong partnerships, which greatly benefits their children.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• review staff deployment so that they enable all children to remain highly focused on their learning
• support staff to encourage children to build their confidence to explore their ideas further.