Little Hearts Nursery Shipley

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Laughter and happiness fill the rooms in this exceptionally caring nursery. Building very secure attachments between children, staff and parents is given a high priority to ensure that children, and their parents, feel safe and secure. Settling-in sessions, for example, are limitless until the parent and child feel comfortable. Children settle in quickly. They are extremely happy, fully engaged and highly motivated in their play.

Staff plan highly enjoyable and engaging activities that reflect children's interests. Key workers have an excellent understanding of what children can already do and skillfully plan their next steps. Children's experiences are carefully sequenced to help children build their knowledge over time. Staff work very effectively together to ensure that all children are able to reach their full potential. As a result, children excel in their learning. Parents acknowledge the rapid progress their children make while at the nursery.

Children's behaviour is exemplary. Staff have high expectations of all children. Clear boundaries are firmly established and upheld. Familiar routines support this extremely well. Through their play, staff encourage children to develop their friendships, to learn to take turns and share.

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

• Children enjoy the freedom of leading their own play in this vibrant and well-resourced nursery. Children have extended periods of play, so that they become fully immersed in their chosen activity, showing high levels of concentration. Activities are appropriately challenging and well adapted to suit the varying needs of individual children. Opportunities are given to challenge children's thinking. Children are encouraged to keep trying and persevere until they succeed. This helps develops children's resilience in preparation for later life.
• There is a strong focus on helping children to develop their independence. Staff ensure that children develop the ability to manage their own hygiene and personal care needs exceptionally well. Children hear consistent messages from staff from a young age. They learn to put on their own wellingtons, gloves, hat and coat and fasten their own zips.
• Children's communication and language development is given a strong focus. Children are asked open-ended questions and continually introduced to new vocabulary. Staff model good language consistently well. Children are immersed in songs, rhymes and stories. In the baby room, children experience amazing awe and wonder while playing with a parachute. Children squeal and giggle with delight as staff sing songs as they lift it up and down. Children's names are cleverly weaved into songs. This gives children a real sense of belonging.
• Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are exceptionally well supported. Staff are very quick to spot signs of children not meeting relevant milestones. Without delay, they put actions in place to support these children through, for example, intensive interaction sessions and enlisting the support of external professionals. This helps children to make excellent progress.
• Planned activities support the development of toddlers extremely well. 'Laughing Yoga', for example, is a highlight of the daily toddler routine. Through this activity, these children are able to practise their speech and language, while at the same time develop their personal, social and emotional skills. Staff are enthusiastic and energetic, ensuring every child enjoys the experience. This, in turn, helps support children to regulate and manage their own behaviour.
• Children are provided with a wide range of opportunities to learn about the wider world. For example, they visit the library, supermarket, park and the train station. Strong community links are fostered through visits from the local police officer and the dentist. Oral hygiene and healthy eating is promoted extremely well. 'Stay-and-Play' sessions for parents, for example, cover aspects such as creating a healthy lunch box and a visit from the community dentist.
• Together, managers show a determination and passion to ensure that every child gets the best possible start in life. Staff, parents and children are viewed as a `family', with the well-being of everyone in it given high priority. Staff say they feel highly valued and appreciated for their hard work. Partnerships with parents are excellent. Staff go above and beyond to support families, such as delivering hampers to families they know struggle at Christmas. Parents praise the staff and feel valued and supported.
• Managers and staff are highly aware of the impact that the COVID-19 pandemic has had on their pre-school children, such as delayed speech, language, personal and social skills. Excellent planning has ensured that staff have focused on these areas and enabled children to make the rapid progress needed to catch up. As a result, children can speak in full sentences using a breadth of rich vocabulary. They can hold a conversation, share and take turns and become engrossed in an activity for an extended amount of time.