Little Sparks Ltd

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are happy and demonstrate that they feel safe in the home-from-home environment. All staff share the manager's ethos of ensuring children and their families feel a true sense of belonging within the nursery. As children arrive, they are excited to explore and play with their friends. They leave their parents with ease and greet staff with smiles. Children are confident and self-assured, because their opinions are truly valued. For example, they engage in meaningful discussions with staff, as they decide the nursery menus for the week ahead.

Children are engaged and motivated in their chosen activities, and show a willingness to learn and try new things. For example, babies and toddlers enjoy stepping on the sensory tiles. They laugh as they feel the different sensations under their feet. Older children create letters and safely use scissors, as they cut tape and wrap up parcels. They develop the strength in their hands, which prepares them well for future learning, such as writing. Following the COVID-19 pandemic, staff have supported children with their social interactions. They ensure children form respectful and supportive relationships with staff. This helps children to develop their confidence.

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

• The curriculum is designed to help children become confident and independent. All staff share the desire to prepare children for the next stage in their learning. This approach is consistently embedded across the nursery. Children benefit from learning that builds on what they know and can do.
• The manager supports staff and ensures they can carry out their roles effectively. Staff feel that their well-being is prioritised by leaders. However, arrangements to monitor staff practice are not yet precisely focused enough to raise the good quality of teaching to the highest level across the nursery. As a result, there is some variation in the experiences of children.
• Overall, staff have high expectations for children's behaviour and conduct. However, some children do not consistently demonstrate that they have a clear sense of right and wrong. Staff in the pre-school room have to regularly intervene to manage children's behaviour. They do this effectively, however, it does impact on other children's learning as activities are sometimes interrupted. This means other children lose interest in the activity.
• Staff prioritise children's language development. They engage children in interesting conversations and eagerly narrate children's play. Children develop their vocabulary as they learn a wide range of nursery rhymes and action songs. They enjoy these opportunities and are excited to choose their favourite songs. Younger children do this as they select a picture, and older children instruct a voice-activated speaker to play their chosen songs. All children are able to express their choices confidently.
• Children develop their physical strength, as they expertly climb on equipment and run around the garden. Staff model different ways to move, such as jumping and hopping, to help children strengthen their bodies. Babies show good upper-body strength, as they pull themselves up and climb on the soft-play equipment. This helps them to gain good balance and coordination in readiness for walking.
• Children learn about the community in which they live. They participate in fundraising events, learn about the emergency services and people who help them. Children celebrate important events in the local area. For example, children learned about Remembrance Day as they completed a one-minute silence, and laid a wreath of poppies in the local park. These activities help children develop a respectful attitude.
• Parental partnerships are a strength of this nursery. Leaders and staff work tirelessly to ensure parents feel part of the 'Little Spark's family'. Parents are regularly invited into nursery to participate in activities, such as story time and stay-and-play sessions. Staff provide parents with information about their children's time at the nursery. Parents are happy that staff share ideas on how they can support their children's learning at home. This helps to develop a consistent approach children's to learning.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• strengthen procedures to monitor staff practice to raise the good quality of teaching to the highest level
• enhance arrangements for children to learn about what is right and wrong, so all children clearly understand what is expected of their behaviour.