Little Leaders Stonegrove

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Older children explore the nursery area to find activities and resources that catch and retain their interests. Staff present activities well to children and they select what they need to support their play. Younger children have staff who give them space to explore but remain close by and ensure children can check their familiar adult is available for them.

Allocated key workers support children moving into the nursery by finding out what children like and enjoy. Staff speak to parents and observe children during settling-in visits and provide resources children show interest in. Children enjoy attending this welcoming nursery. They quickly develop self-confidence and are motivated and engaged in their learning. Behaviour is good. Children stop to listen to clear directions given by staff.

Meetings with parents are quickly arranged to ensure referrals for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are promptly made. Individual support plans are devised in partnership with parents to ensure expectations are consistent between home and nursery.

Children come together for group activities, such as listening to stories read by staff and to choose favourite songs and rhymes. Children join in singing enthusiastically and complete the actions for each song. Younger children have props or sit with a familiar member of staff and enjoy 'Round and Round the Garden', offering their hand and smiling to request more.

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

• Managers foster a relationship-based approach for both children and their families. Practice is developed to ensure children and their families form strong bonds with key workers. Key workers are allocated to support the move into the setting, although, if children are drawn to other staff this is acknowledged and respected. Parents complete registration forms and settling-in plans are devised for visits. Parents and staff share a wide range of backgrounds and heritage. Children who speak English as an additional language are well supported and staff use shared language or thread key words provided by parents. Children are well supported and make good progress.
• Children are taught to recognise and express their feelings. Parents are encouraged to send in family photographs that are displayed at children's eye level. Children proudly show and discuss their family members with peers. Staff use books, songs and discussions to recognise and name different emotions and feelings to promote emotional well-being. Children's behaviour is good. They are developing their understanding of how their actions can impact on others. Minor disagreements are swiftly addressed as children are encouraged to express their feelings with staff, supporting children to find agreed resolutions.
• Children eagerly come together to join adult-led activities. They pass around and share out the equipment they need to make fruit salad. They discuss between themselves what fruit is their favourite. Staff show the fruit to be used and children identify melon, satsuma, pear and apple. The conversation around the table includes how pear is 'nicer' when it is 'soft' and apples are 'crunchy' as they are hard. Staff introduce knives and share how children can use them safely. Children focus on removing seeds, peeling and cutting the fruit to be used for dessert. However, on occasion, some staff do not give children enough time to think and respond to the questions they ask.
• Staff effectively plan group activities. Older children come together to discuss the weather and days of the week. Children request songs and stories with staff, quickly responding and negotiating a plan to include each child's requests. However, opportunities to incorporate counting and vocabulary, relating to size and shape, are not consistently used by all staff, to extend children's learning further.
• Parents describe the nursery as a real community asset as they mostly live very close to the setting. The nursery has enabled families to form friendships and get to know other families in the area. Parents explain how they meet up outside of the setting. Parents are full of praise for the recently appointed manager. Communication from face-to-face handovers newsletters and emails make parents feel connected with the setting and involved with their child's learning. Parents describe staff as supportive; they appreciate the flexibility they have to arrange their child's attendance around their commitments to family or work needs.
• The new manager has implemented a clear plan for development. This includes regular team meetings, supervision, mentoring and training for staff to enhance practice. The manager is committed to keeping children and families at the centre of all they do. Communication with parents has increased and the manager intends to involve parents by holding regular events in the nursery. The manager views the nursery as a valuable resource for the local community. Plans to build partnerships with colleagues from health and other local services are a priority.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• ensure staff give children time to think and respond when asking questions, to further extend their communication skills
• ensure staff incorporate the use of mathematical vocabulary, including numbers, counting and size, into activities with children.