Little Weavers Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children play alongside one another in this happy nursery. Staff support them to quickly settle into the nursery routines by providing emotional warmth and reassurance. As a result, children play and explore the environment confidently. Staff provide children with a range of interesting learning opportunities. For example, babies investigate light up toys and mirrors that promote the development of their senses. Older children engage in a range of mark-making activities, such as drawing in flour. This helps them to learn that letters carry meaning. Children are well prepared for their onward education.

Children's attitude to their learning is positive because staff model the expected behaviours. For example, staff teach babies to stop and look before they move down the slide. Staff enable pre-school children to learn how to cooperate by asking them to put the name cards out together. Communication is given high priority by the staff team. Children's spoken language progresses well because staff provide focused activities to support them to acquire language skills. Daily stories and songs are taught to help children learn new words such as 'mountain' and 'tunnel'. Children develop their physical skills in a range of ways due to the staff's teaching. For example, babies pull themselves up to standing with encouragement from staff. Older children learn to run, jump and balance during their weekly physical education lesson. Children are taught to be independent throughout the nursery. Staff show them how to confidently wipe their own noses and wash their hands to maintain good health and hygiene.

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

• Leaders maintain a good oversight of the nursery. Despite several changes in management, the quality of the nursery has been maintained. Leaders strive to deliver good outcomes for all children and families. The staff report that they feel well supported by leaders and managers. As such, they are happy in their roles. This enables them to work together harmoniously. Children benefit from a well-organised and calm environment.
• The new manager has a sound knowledge of the curriculum for the nursery. The learning planned is individualised. This means children learn and develop. However, not all staff fully understand what is expected of children by the time they move on to their next stage. This means learning is not always well sequenced. At times, this slows children's otherwise good progress.
• Leaders and staff promote personal, social and emotional development well. When babies first begin at the nursery, staff spend time getting to know them and their family at settling-in sessions. This encourages a close relationship to be formed so that babies feel safe and secure. This has a positive impact on their future confidence and learning. Children manage their emotions very well because staff are good role models. They learn to show kindness to others and the world around them as they are overheard to say, 'Be careful of the snail, don't stand on it.'
• The development of communication and language is a strength of the nursery. Staff's interactions with children are sensitive and considered. Staff play alongside children and provide language to describe what children are doing. Open-ended questions are used to draw out children's thinking. Children learn to ask questions and talk about their feelings. For example, children recall their visits to a funfair and say, 'The helter-skelter was exciting but scary!'
• Children develop early mathematics skills. Staff teach babies about space and position. For example, they notice that babies look intently at the ceiling lights and say, 'What's up there?' In the toddler room, children learn to say and count numbers one to three as they listen to stories. Older children sort small objects and count them into containers during their play.
• Parents and carers are complimentary of the leadership of the nursery. They are well informed about their child's learning and development. For example, the progress check at age 2 and other assessments are shared via an app. Although leaders share some information with parents, this is not always focused on how parents can further support their child's learning at home. This means that children's learning at both home and nursery is not always consistent.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• develop staff understanding of the curriculum further so that teaching is always well matched to what children need to learn next
• provide parents with more specific guidance on how to support their child's learning at home.