Little Scallywags Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Staff develop close relationships with children and their families. They know them well and understand their individual needs. This allows staff to offer appropriate support. Children embrace staff regularly, and staff are receptive and responsive to the children and their needs. This means that children are settled and happy at the nursery. Staff have high expectations of behaviour. Staff praise positive behaviour and give regular reminders. As a result, children behave well and are focused during activities.

The curriculum has been carefully planned. Developing children's language is a priority. Staff and children sing songs throughout the day, and staff introduce and repeat key words. For example, toddlers sing 'Wind the Bobbin Up', and babies are reminded to 'mix, mix, mix' in the role-play kitchen. This supports children to learn new words. Staff identify clear learning intentions for the activities they plan. They provide children with a wide range of opportunities to learn and develop, both inside and outdoors. For example, babies explore sand using scoopers and containers, and pre-school children make crumble pie in the outdoor mud kitchen. Children also benefit from visitors to nursery and trips into the local community. This provides children with rich learning experiences and supports them to develop a love for learning.

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

• Staff know what they want the children to learn, and effective planning and assessment systems are in place. This ensures that all children make good progress.
• Staff interact skilfully with children. They frequently engage children in conversations about home and nursery. For example, staff talk with toddlers about the forthcoming Christmas events. This supports children to become effective communicators.
• Staff share high-quality books with the children. Each room contains a cosy and inviting book area, which children visit both independently and with staff to listen to stories. For example, pre-school children join in with the story 'The Gruffalo'. This encourages children to develop a love of reading and become familiar with story language.
• Staff encourage children to become increasingly independent. For example, children collect their own drink bottles and put their creations in their bags to take home. However, some routines do not maximise opportunities to develop children's independence. For example, children do not pour their own drinks or tidy away after snack time. This limits children's ability to manage their own personal care needs.
• Children's emotional and social development is a priority for staff. They talk to the children about how they feel and support children to share resources with one another. This encourages children to be aware of their emotions and interact well with one another.
• Staff support children to develop their physical skills. For example, babies climb up, slide down and crawl through an indoor frame to develop their large motor skills. Toddlers manipulate play dough with their hands and tools, and pre-school children take part in threading and cutting activities. This helps children to strengthen the small muscles in their hands and develop coordination.
• Teaching methods are generally effective in supporting children's progress in learning, development and well-being. However, they are not always applied consistently with older children to ensure that all children achieve the best possible outcomes.
• The nursery is led and managed well. Leaders and managers monitor and assess the strengths and areas for development. They engage staff in regular professional development activities, which aim to improve the quality of provision. This impacts on children's well-being, learning and development.
• Children who may have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are identified swiftly and are given the support they need. Relationships with external agencies are well established. This has a positive impact on the support children receive. Leaders use funding effectively to ensure children receive the specific help they need to make progress.
• Parents are very positive about the nursery. They praise staff for being friendly and approachable and for supporting them with a wide range of issues. Parents speak highly of the experiences that the staff provide their children with. They feel well informed about what their children do at nursery and the progress they make. Parents recommend the nursery to others.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• enhance daily routines to further develop children's independence
• support staff working with older children to recognise ways to develop their teaching so that quality is consistent throughout the nursery.