Little Foot Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children feel safe and secure in the wonderfully warm and welcoming environment. Staff build trusting and respectful relationships with children and their families from their starting points. This helps children to settle in quickly and feel content in their care. Staff act as positive role models to children with their kind and nurturing approach. They teach children to be respectful towards others and reinforce the expectations of children's behaviour. Children play cooperatively together and happily share and take turns during their play. Children's behaviour is good.

Children are confident and motivated learners, who make independent choices in their learning. When planning the curriculum, staff take account of children's interests and what they need to learn next. Children demonstrate high levels of curiosity. They thoroughly enjoy exploring the carefully planned activities and learning equipment available to them indoors. For example, older children use their good imagination as they hunt for dragons, using magnifying glasses. They talk about what the dragon might look like and share their ideas with their friends. Younger children explore different sea creatures and enjoy the sensory experience of playing in the sand. Children are engaged and focused during their play.

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

• The setting has made some positive improvements under the new management team. The manager has worked closely with the provider and external professionals to monitor the quality of the provision. Together, they have identified key areas to improve. She has implemented effective action plans and strengthened procedures, that help to keep children safe.
• The manager and staff team implement effective individualised care and learning plans for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. The manager uses additional funding to ensure children receive the targeted support that they need, to make good levels of progress. For example, staff use funding to provide children with additional support at mealtimes and during small-group activities.
• Children who speak English as an additional language are well supported. For example, staff work closely with parents to find out about children's home language. They gather key words to use in the setting. Staff use body language, visual cues and simple words in both their home language and English. They gradually introduce new vocabulary, using objects as a reference. Parents are complimentary about the support their children receive in learning how to speak English.
• Children develop a love of reading from an early stage. Babies and younger children listen intently to staff as they read stories, such as 'Polly put the kettle on'. The activity is extended well for the more capable children, who follow the instructions. In their role play, they make cups of tea. Older children join in with retelling familiar stories, such as the Three Little Bears', and use the role-play equipment provided.
• Staff know how to extend children's mathematical skills during play. For example, they count the number of legs on spiders with younger children. Older children develop their knowledge and understanding of size, and learn new mathematical language, such as 'big, medium' and 'small'.
• Children become increasingly independent as they move between rooms. For example, younger children are supported to wash their hands and feed themselves independently. Older children follow good hygiene practices and serve their own foods at mealtimes. This helps to prepare children well for their eventual move to school.
• Children enjoy the time they spend outdoors in the fresh air. They have opportunities to develop their balance, coordination and physical skills, using bikes, trikes and four wheeled carts. However, staff do not provide children with outdoor learning opportunities and activities, that cover all seven areas of learning. This does not consistently support the needs of children, who prefer to learn outdoors.
• Staff receive regular supervision sessions and ongoing training to help them understand their roles and responsibilities. For example, staff have received training on how to implement the setting's new curriculum. However, professional development opportunities do not focus precisely enough on helping to develop and raise the quality of teaching to the highest level.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• ensure children have access to outdoor learning opportunities that cover all seven areas of learning
• provide staff with professional development opportunities that help to raise the quality of teaching to the highest level.