Little Toes Day Nursery Clifton

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Staff genuinely care about the children that they look after. They get to know the children and their families well. Children receive a warm welcome from staff as they arrive for the day. They are eager to see their friends and happily leave their parents. Newer children who are a little tearful on arrival are well supported. Staff give them cuddles and reassurance to help them settle and engage with the activities on offer. Staff working with babies are very nurturing and attentive to their needs. Babies laugh and babble as staff play and interact with them. They are building trusting relationships with the staff who care for them.

Staff encourage children to develop an awareness of how to keep themselves safe. They talk to pre-school children about the danger of walking while holding scissors in their hands. Children are learning to hold and use scissors safely. Toddlers are reminded that they need to sit down while they eat. Staff explain to them that they could choke if they walk around with food in their mouths. Babies are supported to take appropriate risks. Staff encourage them to have a go at using a climbing frame. They offer a hand to support them to climb up the steps. Staff assist the babies to come down the slide safely on their bottoms. Babies laugh with delight as they reach the bottom of the slide and are eager to have another go.

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

• Staff have regular supervision and receive feedback on their practice. The manager is aware of individual staff's strengths and weakness. She encourages the most skilled and experienced staff to mentor the less experienced. The manager supports staff to access any relevant training opportunities that will support them to develop their practice and knowledge further.
• There is an effective key-person system in place. Staff recognise the importance of children feeling safe and secure at the nursery. They work with parents prior to their child starting at the nursery to find out about the child's normal routines, comfort needs and interests. Staff plan settling-in sessions to help ensure the child's smooth transition into the nursery. Parents are kept informed about their child's day. Staff talk to them at drop off and collection times to share relevant information. However, children's next steps in learning are not effectively shared with parents to enable them to extend children's learning at home.
• Children with English as an additional language and children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are well supported. Staff take swift action where there are concerns about a child's development. They work in partnership with parents and other professionals who are involved with the children to plan and implement targeted interventions. Funding that children receive, such as early years pupil premium, is used effectively to meet the individual needs of children.
• Staff encourage children to be kind and to develop friendships. They support children to play alongside their friends and praise them for sharing and taking turns with equipment and resources. Pre-school children are friendly and social. They happily include each other in their play.
• Staff interact positively with children and join in with their play. Toddlers excitedly copy staff's actions as they join in with action songs. Pre-school children listen with interest to stories being read. They know the names of the characters in the book and are able to recall what happens next. However, during the implementation of some group activities and routines, staff do not always ensure that the development needs of all children are being met. For example, at dinner time, children use their fingers to push food onto a fork as staff do not provide them with a spoon or a knife.
• Staff implement a curriculum that encourages children to develop the skills that they will need to gain, in order to be ready for their eventual move to school. They focus on promoting children's independence and communication and language skills. Staff regularly observe children. Overall, they have a good understanding about the interest and needs of the children they care for. However, some staff do not use assessment precisely enough to identify and set developmentally appropriate targets.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• share information with parents to help them extend their children's learning at home
• enhance the implementation of routines and group activities so that all children can take part and are suitably challenged and engaged
• ensure that staff use their assessment of children to identify and to plan appropriately challenging experiences for children that help them to build on what they already know and can do.