Little Learners Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children arrive happy. They leave their parents with ease and move into the open arms of their key person. Children are keen to share what they have been doing over the weekend. They talk with excitement about the trips and visits that they have been on. Children feel at home. They enter the setting with confidence, knowing the routines and what needs to be done. For example, they hang their coats up and wash their hands before going off to play.

Children behave well. The settings 'golden rules' act as reminders for the children. During circle time, they discuss the rules and how to be good friends. Children show maturity and are capable of verbalising their feelings. For instance, when children are playing they will ask their friends how they feel. Upon noticing that a friend may be feeling sad, children seek adults for support.

Younger children are keen explorers. They practise their physical skills, as they freely access resources. For example, children show delight when experimenting with the sensory toys. They engage with their key person, rolling musical balls to each other. They show curiosity as they pick up items, using their senses to work out what the item does.

Children have plenty of opportunities to practise their emerging speech. Staff are skilled at providing an environment that encourages children to talk, sing and read. Children will choose books for staff to read to them, showing their knowledge as they repeat key phrases from stories. For example, when reading 'The Very Hungry Caterpillar', children share their understanding of the life cycle, and all join in with the ending when he turns into 'a beautiful butterfly'.

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

• The staff team have worked hard to act on the actions and recommendations raised at their last inspection. The manager has supported staff through regular supervisions, and has provided detailed and effective feedback to ensure that practice is maintained to a high standard. Staff morale is high. The committed team work well together to provide the best outcomes for the children who attend. For instance, the introduction of regular staff meetings enables the team to spend time together, giving everyone a voice on how to move the setting forward.
• Children enjoy the company of the staff. Staff are animated in their approach, which makes children laugh and smile. However, at times, staff step in too quickly and this does not allow children to play and explore on their own. There is a lot of structure to the day, and at times children rely on staff to find them something to engage in. Although staff plan and provide interesting activities it does not help the children become independent learners.
• Parents and carers speak very highly of the nursery and the staff. They praise the staff team for making it a place children want to be. Parents speak about how children will fondly talk about their friends and are keen to go back for their next session. Parents recommend the nursery to their friends and family. They feel well supported. Parents share information on the online platform and receive information back, which they say is a useful communication tool.
• Children have frequent opportunities to explore the local community. For instance, they take trips to the local fruit and vegetable stall to buy items for snack and lunch. The nursery has close links with the nearby school. Children are invited to watch their celebration assemblies, such as Christmas nativities and Harvest. Parents provide further learning opportunities by coming into the setting to talk to the children about their jobs and to share stories. This helps support children's knowledge and understanding of the wider world around them.
• Children enjoy creative activities. The older children show confidence when making play dough to create caterpillars, using language, such as 'quantity' as they explore the ingredients. The younger children use paint to re-create 'The Very Hungry Caterpillar'. However, these experiences are heavily adult-led, resulting in all children producing the same outcome. This restricts children's creativity and freedom to explore the resources and use their imaginations.
• Children are provided with a rich set of experiences that support them in being ready for school. Children enjoy being physically active in their play. They enjoy spending time in the fresh air. Older children engage in messy play activities, finding numbers and letters in slime and building with blocks. Babies enjoy exploring the soft play, developing their emerging physical skills as they learn how to move their bodies.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• review the routines of the day around adult-led activities to provide children with more independence in their play
• review the provision for creative play to allow children to explore and develop their imagination.