Little Sneakers

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are happy and confident at this nursery. They form strong bonds with the adults who care for them. Staff are warm and caring and support children's emotional well-being with genuine affection. Staff stay close to children who are new to the nursery. They show empathy towards them and offer them plenty of reassurance. This helps children to settle and become comfortable in their new surroundings. Children quickly show some confidence separating from adults and begin to engage in the learning opportunities on offer. Staff are sensitive to the fact that children are new and allow them time to explore the environment in their own way.

The ambitious curriculum is designed to help all children to prepare for their next stage of learning. Staff support babies to learn that back-and-forth interactions are exciting as they pass toys to one another. This encourages children to repeat their actions. Older children show high levels of independence and curiosity. They ask questions and are keen to express their own ideas. Children develop their imagination as they dress up and take on roles of police officers. They act out previous experiences and use this knowledge to develop their play further.

Children are respectful of one another and the adults around them. They consider the needs of others and are keen to share the toys they are playing with. They invite others to join them in play and begin to make strong friendships. Staff praise children for being kind, which encourages them to repeat these behaviours.

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

• Children are well prepared for school. They learn to manage their own personal care needs and become increasingly independent as they move through the nursery. Leaders and staff make connections with local schools to support smooth transitions for children. Older children use more complex language and have opportunities to develop their early writing skills. Children name dinosaurs, such as a 'diplodocus', and describe the 'spikey' features of a tyrannosaurus rex. Staff provide activities that support children to extend their mathematical knowledge and support them to understand more abstract concepts. Children, therefore, make good progress.
• Staff follow an 'in the moment' approach to learning. They take the lead from what children are choosing to play with and interact with them to extend their learning in these moments. However, this is not consistently embedded throughout the nursery. Some staff are not tuned in to what children are doing and, therefore, do not successfully take advantage of these teachable moments. This means that some children do not make the best possible progress.
• Staff help children to follow daily routines, such as tidying up before mealtimes.
• They support children to find a place to sit at the table and wash their hands before eating. However, at times, hygiene practices are not fully effective. For example, staff allow children to play with cutlery that is then given to other children to eat with, and food that falls onto the table is picked up by staff and put back on children's plates. This does not teach children good hygiene practices and increases the risk of cross-contamination.
• Leaders have a thorough overview of the nursery. They are committed to enhancing opportunities for children to ensure that they make the best possible progress. They spend time observing staff's practice and identify where improvements can be made across the nursery. They make links with other professionals to provide children with the support they need. Leaders are proactive in their approach to making improvements and, as a result, children experience a nursery that is constantly developing.
• Staff have opportunities to develop their own knowledge and skills. Leaders ensure that any mandatory training is up to date and identify areas of practice that staff can develop further. Staff are keen to enhance their professional development, and they feel supported by leaders.
• Parents are extremely complimentary about the nursery. They have good relationships with staff and describe them as friendly and kind. They are happy with the communication they receive daily and feel valued as parents. They are updated regularly about children's development and are supported to help children make further progress at home. Leaders are passionate about including parents in children's learning, and they provide parents with information about opportunities they can access locally.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• embed the curriculum even further so that all staff understand how to maximise learning opportunities for children
• support staff to implement suitable hygiene routines consistently.