Little Me Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are greeted with a warm welcome. Practitioners talk to parents and carers, and gather key information to support children throughout the day. Children demonstrate that they feel safe and secure. They enter the nursery with confidence and are eager to start their day. Children make attachments with practitioners through an effective key-person system.

Practitioners have high expectations for children's learning and development that are appropriate to their needs. They show a good understanding of each child in their room. Practitioners role model what they expect from children. They are supportive, considerate and respectful of each other. This good practice supports children to behave well and understand what is expected of them.

Children enjoy their time at nursery and explore the environment with their peers. They interact well with each other and demonstrate good problem-solving and social skills. Children are encouraged to be independent. For example, they find their own belongings and serve themselves at mealtimes. This helps children to gain the skills which they need for later life.

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

• The manager supports her team through supervision sessions. She encourages them to achieve their qualifications and higher positions within the nursery. Practitioners say that they feel supported in their continuous professional develop and well-being. This creates a happy environment that impacts positively on the care given to children.
• The manager is well supported by senior staff, such as the deputy manager and room leaders. They observe practice in the rooms and support staff in their professional development. Senior practitioners meet regularly. They identify training needs and areas for improvement to positively impact on children's learning and experiences. Practitioners reflect on their own practice to recognise what went well and what could improve.
• Key persons have a secure understanding of how to meet children's individual needs and get them to their next stage in learning. They provide resources and plan activities that are open ended and have clear learning intentions. This keeps children interested and engaged in the learning opportunities on offer.
• Practitioners support children's language and communication skills well. They talk to babies and young children using single words and short sentences. Practitioners introduce new words and model the correct pronunciation for older children.
• Pre-school children learn key skills, such as mark making and phonics. For instance, children enjoy group activities where they learn and practise making different sounds. This supports children to have the knowledge and skills ready for the school curriculum.
• Practitioners ensure that all children enjoy daily outings. They take children to local places, such as the woodland and park. Practitioners plan equipment in each room to encourage movement and risk taking. This helps children to develop their physical skills.
• Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities make good progress. Practitioners create individual education plans that set achievable and realistic goals. Practitioners support parents and communicate with different professionals, such as speech and language therapists. They mirror strategies used at home to provide continuity and consistency for children.
• The manager uses early years pupil premium funding effectively. For example, practitioners review children's interests and next steps in learning, and provide resources and experiences to help close any gaps in children's learning. This helps disadvantaged children to make good progress.
• Children who speak English as an additional language are supported well. Practitioners gather key words, and give families leaflets with songs and nursery rhymes in children's home languages. However, they do not consistently support children to understand about each other's different languages and cultures.
• Parents are happy with the nursery. They say that their children settle well and enjoy their time at the setting.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• help children to learn about each other's languages and cultures, to enhance their understanding and appreciation of their own and others' diverse backgrounds.