Little Tinklers

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children make superb progress in this exceptional, vibrant nursery. They are incredibly happy, safe and secure, and arrive eager to explore and learn. Staff forge excellent relationships with children and their families. Children's behaviour throughout the nursery is exemplary. Staff are excellent role models and continually encourage children to use good manners, share, take turns and respect each other.

Staff plan unique opportunities to help all children make excellent progress in their learning. For instance, children have superb opportunities to learn about nature and wildlife. They observe the changes in the seasons and eagerly discuss how they 'harvest' the peas and potatoes they plant. Staff explain how birds need food during winter, and how they make 'vibrations' on the soil to make worms come to the surface. Babies thrive in a calm, stimulating environment, where their individual needs are met precisely. They have incredible fun, while exploring sensory experiences. For instance, babies explore ice and a variety of spoons and tongs. As they investigate the ice, they are given new words to describe it, such as 'crunchy', 'melting' and 'freezing'.

Young children learn about artists and contemporary art from their artist in residence. Children precisely cut material to make 'mosaic art'. They confidently discuss why the pieces fit together. This helps children to develop an excellent knowledge of the wider world around them. Children challenge themselves and experiment with objects. They launch boats down pipes and work out how to pour water down and move the pipes to make the boats travel faster. Staff expertly facilitate learning and ask questions, which enables children to think critically and motivates them to learn.

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

• Children's behaviour is impeccable. They are extremely polite, show kindness and are respectful towards each other. Children help each other, without being prompted. For example, when older children need help to balance on a wooden obstacle course, their friends swiftly provide support and hold out their hands to help them balance. Staff share an abundance of positive language, including high levels of praise and encouragement. As a result, children display high levels of self-esteem and confidence.
• Children's communication and language skills are supported to the highest level. Staff skilfully narrate children's play, consistently extending their ideas and introducing new vocabulary. All children are skilfully encouraged to listen to appropriately planned, high-quality stories. There are core books that children have embedded in their learning. Older children expertly recall their favourite parts of the story and discuss specific parts of the book, such as the title page and author. Babies listen with awe and excitedly point to parts in the book as staff describe familiar stories. This helps to develop their growing love of books.
• Partnerships with parents are highly effective. Parents are very eager to share highly positive feedback about the nursery. They describe staff as 'phenomenal' and 'amazing'. Parents describe how the nursery supports the 'whole family'. They are fully involved with their child's learning and development. Parents are given a wealth of information on how to continue to support their children's learning at home.
• The leadership team are passionate, dedicated and committed. The manager has a detailed knowledge of the skills and strengths across the team and considers these carefully when deploying staff. A high emphasis is placed on staff's well-being. Staff describe the leadership team as 'extremely supportive'. Staff benefit from regular meetings and supervision sessions to support their practice. Incisive self-evaluation enables the nursery to continuously improve.
• Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are supported extremely well. Excellent relationships with other professionals, such as portage and the local authority, help children receive timely and significant interventions to help reduce any gaps in their learning. Staff share a wealth of invaluable information, which helps to provide a highly consistent approach to children's care and learning. Additional funding is used well to support children to make the best possible progress.
• Staff are inspirational teachers and have exceptional knowledge of child development and the skills children need for future learning. They know their key children exceptionally well. Staff continuously assess what children know and can do, planning precisely for their next steps in learning. The purposefully planned and sequenced curriculum ensures all children make excellent progress. An outdoor classroom situated in the garden further enhances children's learning and curiosity, including opportunities to explore large loose parts and an allotment.