Little Years Nursery Ltd

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Staff create wonderfully warm relationships with children. Those who are a little unsure, or have been absent for some time, receive lots of reassuring cuddles from staff. This means that children settle well and learn to trust the adults they are with.

Staff place a firm focus on children's personal, social and emotional development. This means that children are very well behaved. They are used to listening to the adults and heeding what they say. Children listen for their names being sung so they know when there is space for them to wash their hands ready for lunch. They also listen to instructions during their regular walks in the community. They are mindful of the traffic and know that some cars do not make any sound. Children's very good behaviour has a significant impact on their learning and their safety.

Leaders create a flexible, yet interesting, curriculum that sparks children's imagination. Staff know the children well. They help children to access the learning opportunities relevant to their individual levels of development. Partnerships with parents and other agencies who work with the children are very good. Parents say that they are well supported, and several say their children are thriving at the setting.

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

• Children develop good language skills. Staff make sure that lively conversation is at the heart of every day. Following the staff's lead, children are often very animated as they talk about their walk out, or their home-life experiences. They use increasingly complex vocabulary to talk about their trip to the recycling centre. They also talk in some detail about the 'broken castle' and the map that they saw on their way there. Staff introduce mathematical language as they engage in children's play. Children easily count the slices of pretend pizza. They confidently talk about shape and size as they play with blocks. They rush to join in enthusiastically with well-known action rhymes and ask for songs to be sung even faster.
• Staff successfully harness children's interests to encourage their learning and creativity. Following the children's lead, staff help them to recreate the buildings they have seen on their walk. Children are proud of the warm praise they receive for their efforts and their success. They persevere several times to rebuild the tower. Children become confident and motivated learners.
• Staff promote children's good physical health and mental well-being. They have daily access to outdoor play in the wider community as the on-site outdoor area is not always available. Children learn to enjoy a healthy lifestyle. They relish the home-cooked meals that meet their individual requirements. Older children confidently help themselves to extra portions and pour their own water. They all learn to use cutlery properly and clear their plates away. Children show they feel secure in the well-rehearsed routines that promote their independence. They settle themselves quickly for their nap after lunch and sleep well.
• Staff get to know children and their families very well. They understand the everyday challenges that families experience and when more stringent safeguarding procedures are needed. This promotes children's learning, development and safety.
• There is a very strong senior management team. Senior managers are always on hand to support with daily tasks such as cooking lunch, as well as advisory and administrative tasks. There have been changes to the staff team recently. Senior leaders support staff to develop their teaching skills and settle into their role. They also understand where ongoing support might be needed. Parents confirm that following the changes, they are already seeing improvements. That said, monitoring and coaching processes have not yet been fully implemented with the newer team. This means that there are times when the environment becomes a little too loud for meaningful conversation to take place, and occasions when some children are less engaged with the learning opportunities than they could be.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• continue to monitor day-to-day practice and reflect on how the quality of provision can be raised even further.