Little Moors Farm Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children arrive happy and confidently separate from their carers. They develop strong bonds with the friendly staff who care for them. Babies demonstrate that they feel safe and secure as they snuggle up to staff who care for them. Children are kind towards one another. For example, children wait for their friends and help them to climb the slope into the wood. A child explains they use 'please' 'because it makes the magic work'. Children show high levels of independence. They can put on their wellington boots and coats. Children's enthusiasm and positive attitude towards their learning provides a good foundation to build on what they already know.

Children spend a lot of time outdoors. They visit the horses and learn how the grooms care for them. Children learn about natural habitats, such as the pond, which a heron regularly visits. Children have plenty of opportunities to be physically active. They climb trees, use tree swings and show high levels of enjoyment as they join in the race to the woods.

Care for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities is a strength of the nursery. Partnerships with other professionals are in place to support these children to make the best possible progress.

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

• The dedicated manager has made significant improvements since the last inspection. Managers and staff are clear about the procedures to follow in the event of a safeguarding concern.
• The manager has high expectations for all children. She has devised a well-sequenced, ambitious curriculum. She works closely with staff to develop targeted plans, which are specific to each child's individual learning needs. She has identified the need for a focus on speech and language, and has put effective strategies in place. However, the manager does not have systems in place to evaluate the impact on children's learning of any additional government funding the nursery receives.
• The manager supervises staff performance effectively and provides a focused programme of training to develop staff knowledge and to help to ensure that children receive good-quality education and care. However, development opportunities for less-experienced staff to enhance their interactions with children are not always as robust. For example, they do not always know how to extend children's learning during play.
• All staff contribute to the planning, observation and assessment process to ensure that staff know the children well and have manageable workloads. All children make good progress.
• Staff manage behaviour well. Children behave well, are polite, share and take turns.
• Parents speak very highly of the nursery and the experiences and activities that their children take part in. They that say their children benefit from learning in a natural environment. They comment on the good progress that their children make, particularly in their language and physical skills. Parents say that they appreciate the high levels of communication that the manager and staff provide about their children's progress, current topics and ideas of what they can complete at home with their children.
• Staff support children's language development. They capture children's interest as they read stories with good intonation and enthusiasm. Staff ask questions about the story, which helps to develop children's thinking skills. Staff encourage children to express their opinions and ideas. For example, they ask children the possible cause of the ripples on the pond.
• Children show an excellent understanding and enjoyment of books and stories. They are aware that an 'author' writes books and that an 'illustrator' draws the pictures. They know there is a beginning, middle and end to a story. In the pre-school, some children can recognise the letters of their name and others can write clearly formed letters. Babies develop their language skills through simple songs and rhymes and interactions with staff, who consistently respond to their babbles and gestures.
• Children learn to recognise simple shapes. They use their developing mathematical skills to count how many children are in a line.
• Children learn about the wider world. They enjoy activities that help to develop their understanding of the similarities and differences between themselves and others. They learn about the changing seasons and grow healthy foods. Children plant the seeds, water them and care for the vegetables as they grow.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• evaluate the impact of any additional government funding on children's learning and development
• strengthen the support and guidance for less-experienced staff to help them to raise the quality of their interactions with children to the highest level.