Little Friends

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children enjoy coming into the homely nursery. Staff support children's independence by encouraging them to take off their shoes and put their coats away. Children are eager to find their close friends and begin to play. Staff form close relationships with children, and as a result, those that are more reserved have the support of a familiar adult. The key-person system that the staff have in place helps children feel supported, understood and safe. Staff design the curriculum to cover the seven areas of learning and incorporate children's interests to help them to make good progress.

Children invite others into their play and explain what game they are playing. For example, older children tell younger children that they are using toy diggers to scoop mud in the garden. Children are happy to help others. They smile as they help their friends to balance on wood beams, holding their hands and helping them to balance. Children's behaviour is good. Children share well with others. They pass flour to each other during a dough-making activity without adult prompt. They are polite and use manners as they communicate with others. Children understand the rules and boundaries of the setting, helping others tidy as they happily pack away resources in the garden.

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

• Children are taught to be independent in their daily routines. They serve themselves during mealtimes and staff teach children to put their coats and shoes on before going into the garden. Children make their own dough daily and choose which ingredients they want to use. As a result, children develop confidence in their abilities and learn to solve problems.
• Staff teach children about the importance of leading a healthy lifestyle. They discuss oral hygiene as a group, and talk about teeth being wobbly and what this means. Children have opportunities to walk to the local shops to buy their own snack. Staff encourage children to make healthy choices about the foods they choose, and learn about the value of money.
• Children transition well between rooms. Staff talk about the importance of children starting in the next room when they are developmentally ready. Children go for visits and begin to learn the routine and expectations of the new room. In turn, this gives children confidence and helps them to become more settled.
• There are lots of opportunities for children to develop their physical skills. In the garden, children use mops and buckets of paint to make marks on the wall. Other children press down on a water pump to move water from one tray to the next.
• Children learn about feelings and emotions. For example, they select an
• 'emotion card' to represent how they are feeling. This prompts conversations between staff and children to discuss their feelings. Younger children build on their language as they learn words to express their emotions.
• Staff clearly identify what needs to be learned by all children. However, occasionally during activities, staff do not build on what children already know, especially for older children. This means that often they are not challenged and lose interest in the activity.
• Children have good opportunities to learn about how to care for living things. They participate in growing activities in the garden and inside, where they look after and water plants. They have recently hatched chicks and staff talk to children about what chicks need to be able to live and grow. Staff also teach children about showing care and concern for the planet. Children learn about recycling and go to a local shop where they are working on reducing plastic waste.
• Parents talk about the fact the nursery feels 'like a family' to them. They commend the nursery for the support they give to both children and families. The nursery encourages parents to come in and talk to children about their culture and different festivals that they celebrate. As a result, children learn about different ways of life, and parents are partners in their children's learning.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• encourage staff to build on play with older children, so children have opportunities to gain more knowledge and build on what they already know.