Little Peepul Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children arrive happy and confident as they find their key person. They settle well, enjoying their time at the safe and welcoming nursery. Children demonstrate good behaviour as they listen to instructions and learn how to use their 'walking feet' to keep themselves safe inside the nursery. Staff engage children well as they demonstrate yoga positions. Children follow guidance and use their large muscles as they learn to stretch and balance.

Staff teach children to be independent and encourage their physical skills as they support them to climb and balance on soft play blocks. Children scramble through tunnels with excitement as staff offer warm praise, saying, 'I'm so proud of you'. Staff encourage children to recall and sing songs. Children listen carefully and follow staff's actions as they pretend to be 'sleeping bunnies'. They jump and bounce with enthusiasm, as they join in the words of the song.

Strong attachments with staff support children's emotional well-being as they safely explore the nursery. Staff continuously build on children's communication and language as they share new words with younger children. Children show an interest in playing with sand outdoors. Staff repeat words as children explore the sand with their hands, such as 'scoop', and 'mixing, mixing'. Staff support older children as they show increasing skills in their mark making. Older children show an interest in forming the letters of their names. Staff encourage them to think about other letters they could write.

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

• The management team recognise the importance of creating a curriculum for children that is relevant and interesting. The staff team plan activities to support children's interests and learning. However, less experienced staff do not consistently help children to build on what they already know and can do.
• Staff provide well-planned and carefully thought out activities for children to help support their learning based on what children know and can do and their interests. Children show good levels of engagement in their play for sustained periods. For example, staff support children's interests by providing them with fresh fruit and vegetables to chop up with plastic knives. Staff help and encourage children as they practise their small-muscle skills.
• Staff training is carefully planned to ensure children are supported in their learning. For example, recent staff training in encouraging children's literacy skills has resulted in the staff team reviewing how books are used to extend children's learning further.
• Staff provide routines at the nursery. Children are familiar with these routines and anticipate what is happening now and next. However, transitions between activities, such as snacks and mealtimes, do not always support the needs of all children. For example, staff take too long as they organise snack time, and some children become restless and unsettled as they sit for long periods unnecessarily. This impacts children's levels of engagement and continuous learning.
• Parents speak warmly of the 'friendly, welcoming and attentive' staff team. They comment that they receive regular updates on their children's progress and ideas on how to support them at home. The management team ensure parents have opportunities to attend 'stay and play' sessions with their children. This helps parents become familiar with the activities offered to children and how these help their children learn.
• Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are supported well at the nursery. Swift intervention is provided for those who require additional support. Staff are confident in their role in supporting children with SEND. As a result of this, children are making good progress.
• Children with English as an additional language are supported well. When children first start at nursery, they are given a key person who supports them in using their home language as well as learning English. This helps to settle children and builds attachments. Staff help children to progress as they build their confidence in using new vocabulary and language skills.
• Children behave well and are kind and polite to their friends. Staff are consistent and fair when reminding children of the rules at nursery. They act as good role models as they say 'thank you' when children offer them play dough and other resources. Children politely reply, 'You're welcome'.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• strengthen individual staff's teaching practice to further challenge children's learning
• review the organisation of nursery routines so children are consistently engaged in learning.