Little Wishes

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

There is a warm and calm atmosphere at this nursery. Children are highly motivated to play and learn. They benefit from a range of activities which are tailored to their interests. Children are eager to learn and take on new challenges. For example, older children use hay, sticks, and small bricks to build houses and play imaginatively with them, retelling the story of 'The Three Little Pigs'. Younger children explore different textures in a sensory tray based around the story 'We're Going on a Bear Hunt'.

Children behave really well. They play cooperatively with each other and respond well to the routines and boundaries that are in place. Children thrive on the praise they receive from staff for their efforts and achievements. This helps to build their self-esteem and confidence.

Staff are dedicated to providing a warm and caring environment for children. When children start at the nursery, staff form close working relationships with parents. They gather detailed information from parents, which they use to help children settle quickly. Staff know the children extremely well. They are positive role models. Children show they feel safe and secure as they explore the nursery happily.

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

• Leaders have created a broad and balanced curriculum. Staff offer children exciting opportunities that spark curiosity and develop a love for learning. Staff demonstrate that they know the children well and can talk about where children are in their development and what they need to learn next. However, while staff are generally able to discuss the curriculum intentions, their teaching does not consistently focus on what they want children to learn next.
• Children learn about people and communities. Leaders and staff value the diversity of the local area and the children who attend. For example, children help to raise money for local charities. Pre-school children visit the local residential home on a regular basis to sing songs and share stories with the residents. Younger children go on local walks to the park. This promotes their personal development and introduces them to their local community.
• Staff are good role models for children. They are kind and nurturing. There is an effective key-person system in place. Staff take time to establish secure relationships with children and help them to feel safe and secure. They successfully meet children's individual needs.
• Leaders involve other professionals to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Staff implement targeted plans to help meet the needs of these children. They use additional funding well to help improve outcomes for children. Children with SEND make good progress from their starting points.
• Staff say that they feel supported in their roles, and morale is good. Staff work well as a team. They are supported to improve their performance through supervision and training. However, while there are systems in place to ensure consistency within the setting. Leaders would benefit from further training and support to fulfil their role more confidently and develop further oversight of the whole nursery.
• Children develop in their communication and language skills. Staff support children's early language development through fostering a love of books, songs and rhymes. Staff take every opportunity to extend language, introducing new words and engaging children in meaningful conversations.
• Staff use everyday opportunities to develop children's mathematical skills. For example, when playing in the role play, staff talk to children about the cost of everyday items and support them to add numbers together.
• Staff promote children's independence well. During meal and snack times, staff support children to learn how to complete tasks on their own. Children pour their own drinks; serve their own food and clear plates away. Before outdoor play, children demonstrate growing independence when getting their own shoes and coats on.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support staff to have a clearer understanding of the curriculum intent so that their teaching consistently focuses on what they want children to learn
• strengthen further the support and training in place for all leaders to help maintain consistency and oversight of the whole nursery.