Little Jems Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are happy and confident in this friendly and welcoming nursery. When new babies and children join, staff take the time to get to know them and their families. This means that children bond well with staff and get off to a strong and successful start.

Babies, toddlers and pre-school children have their own rooms, which provide a safe, nurturing environment for them to learn and explore. Children make their own choices in their play, and staff engage with them to develop their knowledge and understanding across the different areas of learning.

Children are encouraged to try new things and receive support and praise from staff as they succeed. Hugs and reassurance are on hand when needed. This helps children to feel safe and secure. Staff know what children need to do next to progress in their learning, and this is also shared with parents and carers.

Children show kindness to one another. For example, when one child drops an item, a friend picks it up for them. They show pride as they accomplish tasks set up in the rooms and happily take part in familiar daily routines, such as lining up to wash their hands and sitting smartly at the table for mealtimes.

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

• Leaders and managers ensure that the premises is safe and suitable for babies and young children. Risk assessments are used effectively by all staff. Since the last inspection, training has been provided to ensure staff have a secure understanding of how to store cleaning products in the nursery. This means that risks to children in the setting have been minimised.
• The manager has implemented a clear curriculum, ensuring that children progress as they move through each age phase in the nursery. For example, to develop mathematical knowledge and understanding, staff in the baby room count towers of blocks and model mathematical vocabulary, such as 'lots' and 'more'. In the toddler room, children explore number books and the numbers one to five, and in the pre-school room, children focus on the numbers one to 10 and match numbers to the correct quantity of objects.
• Staff have identified a need to focus on developing communication and language skills. Babies happily engage in cheeky games of peekaboo, while older children demonstrate their increasing language skills as they enthusiastically make up their own songs and spells. However, not all staff consistently engage with children in conversation or model language as they play. This means that children do not always get the opportunity to extend their language skills even further.
• The nursery has enrolled on a COVID-19 recovery programme. This has supported staff in reflecting on what the nursery does well and how to improve. As a result, the team have developed some of the play areas. Following the changes, children have shown increased engagement, language and skills in those areas. For example, pre-school children learn about cooking and ingredients by exploring real food items in the home-corner kitchen.
• All children have a key person, who ensures that their individual needs are being met. Parents are highly complimentary of the communication and support they receive and enjoy receiving detailed handovers when they collect their children.
• Where children require additional support, staff discuss this with parents, and the special educational needs coordinator is quick to ensure that the right help is accessed.
• Parents say that staff provide them with support and advice when needed and they feel confident in approaching the team with any worries or concerns. They enjoy looking at the beautiful 'floor books', which are full of photos, paintings and notes to show what the children have been learning at nursery. Children also use these books to reflect on the experiences they have had at nursery.
• Children explore their own ideas and make their own choices. Staff encourage them to grow in independence. For example, babies make their way to the table and sit down to wait for lunch. Toddlers learn how to hang up their coats and take their shoes off, and older children show pride as they help with tasks, such as putting the milk away in the fridge.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• strengthen opportunities for staff to support children's growing language and communication skills throughout the nursery.