Little Legs Day Nursery Ltd

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are greeted by warm, welcoming staff. Staff have worked hard to develop the learning environment both indoors and outside. A love of books is promoted at every opportunity. Children often choose to read, and staff members nurture this love for reading. Staff are kind and supportive towards children. Relationships are strong and children appear happy, safe and well supported. Children behave well and often play together in mixed age groups. Children are helpful towards one another and show respect when playing together. Younger children are encouraged by the older children in the setting, which results in younger children engaging in playful learning.

Children have access to lots of opportunities for learning both inside and outside, and move freely between both. Children show high levels of concentration and are excited to explore. Children learn about their local area by going on seasonal walks and trips to local parks. Children are articulate and are able to share their own ideas. Staff encourage this and respond promptly to children's ideas. Children enjoy a range of activities, including crafting, construction and sensory play.

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

• Leaders have worked hard to create a rich learning environment. Children have access to a wide range of resources that encourage exploration and learning. The setting is open and inviting.
• Staff build on daily opportunities to develop children's clear speaking and listening skills. Children are keen to practise the sound of the day, linked to correct pronunciation. This allows for regular practise of children's speaking and listening skills.
• Staff understand the importance of sharing books with children. Opportunities to read together at planned and unplanned times are an important part of each day. Children listen with enthusiasm. Children are encouraged to develop a love of books and learn how to look after them.
• Relationships between staff, families and children are excellent. Parents and carers feel well supported. Parents say that they can see their children developing both educationally and emotionally.
• Staff share information regularly with parents using an app. This enables learning to be shared between the nursery and home, and helps parents to feel well informed.
• Key-worker systems are in place, and all staff know children well. Key workers assess what children can do and provide opportunities to move learning forward.
• Staff sensitively provide a balance between support and encouragement for children. For example, staff create a balancing platform for children outside. Staff encourage children to have a go and offer support only when needed. This helps to support children's self-esteem and confidence.
• Daily routines support children's well-being by taking into account children's needs and interests. Staff build on opportunities for children to learn about the wider world by focusing on a new country each month. Children then talk about some of this new knowledge during their play.
• Leaders ensure that individual plans are in place for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Staff work closely with speech and language specialists to guide learning and inform planning. However, there is not always a robust process for sharing information with other settings that children may attend.
• Staff regularly sit with the children and eat together at mealtimes. This creates a calm atmosphere where children enjoy healthy foods. Children say that they often try foods at nursery that they would not eat at home. Leaders have planned healthy, balanced meals that cater for all dietary needs.
• The learning environments from the babies room through to pre-school are well planned and inviting, and take into account all areas of learning. There is a wide range of opportunities for learning in different environments, from snuggly, cosy corners to exciting craft areas, and children are keen to explore them.
• The curriculum intent is clearly understood by leaders and staff in relation to promoting children's communication and language. However, at times, staff do not adapt their practice to sharply focus on children's individual stages of development.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• develop partnership working between practitioners in other settings to support learning and development
• strengthen the development opportunities provided for staff to build on the implementation of the curriculum for individual children's communication and language.