Little Gems Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The nursery provides a nurturing, family-oriented environment, where each child and their family are recognised, valued and supported. Children are consistently encouraged to become confident, independent and responsible from an early age. The youngest children are supported to develop important physical and self-care skills. For example, babies are encouraged to pull themselves up to access the ball pool and roll the balls, while toddlers begin to wash their hands independently and enjoy sharing tools and equipment during sensory play. Older children show increasing confidence at mealtimes. They serve themselves and use knives and forks with skill and care. Staff consistently model positive behaviours, using polite language, such as please and thank you. As a result, children copy this respectful language and use good manners naturally in their play and interactions with others. Children enjoy talking about what they have been learning and doing. Cookery Club is a favourite, children chat about the ingredients they use, what they make and the end results.

Children across the nursery are developing the skills they need to become capable learners as they engage in meaningful experiences. Children of all ages are supported to develop a real love of books, stories and rhymes, which incorporate early maths. Staff bring stories to life by reading with energy and enthusiasm, which captures children's attention and sparks their curiosity. Toddlers are eager to be involved, often pointing to pictures and joining in as staff read. Older children are given choices about which songs they would like to sing, supporting their independence and preferences. Babies join in with action rhymes and songs, which helps to develop important listening and concentration skills.

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

• Safeguarding is highly effective. Staff at all levels know their responsibilities for keeping children safe. Staff and leaders demonstrate a secure knowledge of their safeguarding responsibilities, including areas such as whistle-blowing and online safety.
• Leaders have developed an exciting and well-rounded curriculum designed to help every child learn, grow and thrive. Staff are reflective and work well as a team to assess and improve children's experiences, focusing on the skills necessary for their future learning.
• Children take part in activities that develop their understanding of the world, such as gardening where they plant seeds and care for plants. However, staff do not consistently provide children with opportunities to learn about cultures and communities different to their own. This does not help children prepare for life in modern Britain.
• Staff serve as positive role models by demonstrating kind, respectful and caring behaviour. They provide strong emotional support, helping children to recognise and manage their feelings. As a result, children learn how to stay calm, take turns and respond to challenges in positive ways in everyday situations. For example, older children were supporting the youngest children to push vehicles backwards and forwards and supporting them to take turns.
• Staff foster a love of stories, rhymes and songs by weaving them into activities. For instance, they introduce story sacks related to a familiar book to encourage children to retell stories. However, staff are not always ambitious with the language they use to extend their vocabulary more widely.
• Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities receive the care and support they need to reach their full potential. Staff work closely with leaders and other professionals to understand each child's needs and target support. Additional funding is used effectively to help children make the best possible progress.
• Parents are extremely complimentary about the care and support their children receive and how the staff go above and beyond for them. They greatly appreciate the support children receive in preparation for transitioning to school. In particular, supporting their children's independence, confidence, social skills, and speech.
• Leaders have introduced a shared learning book for children who attend more than one setting. This helps all adults involved in children's care to regularly share important updates, including their progress and next steps in learning. This helps to provide children with a consistent and joined-up approach to their learning.
• Leaders are both empathetic and effective in their support of staff. They have clear systems in place to ensure that staff are well trained, carefully recruited and regularly supported through ongoing supervision. The leaders recognise that happy, confident staff create the best environment for children to learn and thrive.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• enhance staff understanding and practice of how to help children develop a wide and varied vocabulary
• extend the curriculum to provide further opportunities for children to learn about cultural diversity and different communities to their own.