Little Troopers Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are happy and secure at this extremely welcoming setting. They are encouraged to have a 'can-do' attitude and to be active in their own learning. Children are supported superbly to take risks and problem-solve. For example, children spend time making a castle, den and bridge in an activity aimed at developing their gross motor skills. Staff skilfully ask children questions to encourage them to talk about what they are doing and use their excellent communication skills through their imaginary play. Children enjoy the time they spend outdoors as they pretend to be their favourite characters, and they learn to negotiate with each other.

Promotion of children's well-being is outstanding and their behaviour is excellent. Children develop their confidence and social skills and learn to manage their behaviour. There is a strong focus on friendship and kindness, and staff encourage children to engage with and help each other as they play. All staff are superb role models who use a range of innovative strategies to empower children to understand and manage their own behaviour. They encourage children to express their emotions and to think of ways in which to best handle conflict amicably.

Children benefit greatly from a range of exciting, stimulating and challenging activities and experiences. The well-organised environment promotes children's natural curiosity. Children are enthusiastic, inquisitive and highly motivated to learn. They develop excellent communication skills and confidently articulate what they know and can do. Children are fascinated by the world around them. For example, a conversation about whales leads to children recalling a favourite story with a whale, which they correctly describe as a humpback whale. Staff engage with children through thoughtful questioning that challenges them to think and use their own ideas. For example, the conversation about whales leads into further discussions about what can be found in the ocean. Children name whales, sharks, fish and coral. The range and breadth of the well-implemented activities provided ensures that children make the best possible progress.

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

• The leadership team is well established and extremely supportive of the staff. The manager is a visionary whose uncompromising commitment to providing children with the highest level of care and education is evident. She strives to develop her own knowledge with an infectious desire to continually reflect with her staff to improve practice and support her team and children.
• Staff's interactions with children are exceptional. They respond sensitively to the children and communicate with them in a variety of ways. Children's speech and language development is prioritised in the nursery. Staff are highly skilled and effective at supporting children to acquire language. They use a variety of communication methods to support all children to make superb progress in their speech and language development. For example, staff use 'reading buddies' in the younger room and sign language throughout the nursery. All children are developing a love for books and literature.
• All staff understand the curriculum intent and put into practice with confidence. They know when to stand back and allow children to explore and discover. Consequently, staff identify meaningful, unobtrusive opportunities to build on children's understanding and move learning forward.
• Parent partnerships are superb. Parents highly rate what they consider to be an exceptionally caring and communicative staff team. Testimonials are overwhelmingly positive, commenting on how children flourish at the nursery.
• Staff are especially caring towards the children, creating an extremely nurturing environment. New children settle remarkably quickly. This is supported by exceptional information obtained ahead of children starting. In addition, staff undertake home visits to meet the children and their families.
• The inspirational manager has embedded a rigorous system to support and monitor the development of staff. She coaches and mentors to help them confidently perform to their full potential. The manager and the provider recognise the importance of valuing their staff. For example, they have invested in an external package to support the well-being of their staff, as well as a host of things they offer internally. All staff say they enjoy working here and feel exceptionally valued.
• Children have a number of ways to learn about how to lead a healthy lifestyle. For example, they recall the impact different food groups have on their health. For instance, at mealtimes, children tell staff how red food helps your heart to be strong and green food builds your immunity.
• Staff provide a wealth of opportunities for children to meet new people and talk about similarities and differences in the world. Children frequently visit a range of local attractions in the community to take part in activities that enthuse and inspire them. For example, children make visits to the elderly and collect food and deliver it to the local food bank.
• Children are supported to be independent and persevere in tasks. The youngest children are supported to learn to feed themselves with cutlery and drink from open cups. Older children are independent in setting the table for lunch with plates and cutlery. They serve their own lunches and use cutlery competently. Children are sensitively supported to follow excellent table manners.