Little Lockets Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are supported to feel safe and secure in the nursery. In the baby room, children receive a warm cuddle from their peers when they arrive. Children show positive relationships with staff, sitting on their knee for comfort and reassurance. Children in the pre-school room show a sense of pride in their achievements. For instance, they show visitors pictures they draw of themselves and their family.

Children enjoy being physically active. In the baby room, children are supported to develop their strength when they climb steps on equipment and go down slides. Children in the toddler room learn new skills, such as how to pedal a tricycle. Staff explain and guide them how to use their feet to push down on the pedals. Children who speak English as an additional language have opportunities to hear their home language in their play, supporting their language development. Children have opportunities to learn about foods that originate in other countries, such as Wales. They make Welsh cakes and take it in turns to use their senses to explore the ingredients they use. Children benefit from the manager spending additional funding effectively to support their individual needs. For instance, this includes offering children healthy snacks and nutritious meals to promote a healthy diet.

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

• Staff support children's communication and language skills well. For example, when children in the baby room babble, staff listen and respond. This helps children to know that their views are valued and to take turns in conversations. Staff help children in the pre-school room to learn new words, such as 'spine' and 'shin'. This helps them to learn the names of different parts of their bodies.
• The manager and staff reflect on their practice and gather feedback from parents. They make improvements, for example to help children to become familiar with routines in preparation for their move on to school. The manager and staff give children the same amount of time to eat their lunch as they will have when they move on to school.
• Parents provide positive comments about staff and their children's experiences in the nursery. They appreciate the information they receive from staff about their children's day. Parents value the help they receive from staff regarding their children's potty training. This helps to create a united approach to supporting children's development.
• The manager and staff observe and assess children to help identify what they need to learn next. Children are supported to develop their learning through their interests indoors. For example, children solve problems when they use construction toys to make a tractor. However, occasionally when children play outdoors, they are not supported as effectively to follow their interests. This limits some children's opportunities for purposeful play.
• The manager and staff work in partnership with parents and make referrals to other professionals to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Targeted plans are in place and children are given individual attention from staff to help meet their learning and care needs.
• Children learn how to be kind to animals. For example, staff encourage them to stroke the nursery guinea pigs gently and to feed them. However, some planned activities in the toddler room are not always as effective. Staff do not maintain children's focus and attention so they can get the most from the learning opportunities offered.
• Staff actively promote positive behaviour. For example, children in the pre-school room receive coins to praise them for tidying up toys and when they help at lunchtime. They receive a prize at the end of the week to recognise their achievements. This helps to raise children's self-esteem and helps them to understand what is expected of them.
• Staff encourage children to complete tasks on their own. For instance, in the baby room, children who can walk are asked to take their plate to a bin when they finish eating. Children in the toddler room are supported to use cutlery at lunchtime. Pre-school children select their own snacks and serve themselves.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• help staff to support children to follow their interests when they play outdoors
• support staff to encourage children in the toddler room to remain focused and engaged during planned activities.