Lizard C.H.I.L.D Trust

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children have a happy time at this friendly and nurturing nursery. Managers are ambitious for all children to succeed, and have designed a well-sequenced curriculum. Children show curiosity as they explore the range of engaging activities available. Children build their knowledge and skills over time. Staff speak in gentle and encouraging voices and support each unique child. They recognise the importance of supporting children to develop and practise becoming more independent. Toddlers smile as they independently put their drawings in their bag to take home. Coat and bag hooks are child height, and toddlers access their belongings easily. Older children confidently pour their drinks and spread butter onto their crackers during snack time.

Developing social skills is a strong focus of the curriculum. Babies enjoy playing together in a sandpit. Staff support their role play as they pretend to visit the beach with their toy babies. Children eagerly follow suggestions, which develop the play. They mould sand into sea creature shapes, developing their creative skills and learning to share.

Children of all ages have free access to the outdoors. They run, slide and develop further physical skills, such as balancing and climbing. Older children create an assault course with cones and colourful planks. They develop skills in team work, sharing and creativity as they negotiate balancing on the beams together. Pre-school children develop their senses, exploring cut flowers and citrus fruits in the outdoor kitchen. They mix water with cucumber, lemons and lime, creating fruity juices as staff guide them to explore the different fruit and vegetables.

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

• Managers have created an ambitious curriculum, and staff are confident in what they want children to learn and why. Staff create interesting activities that children enjoy. Children concentrate well and are curious learners. Older children engage for a long time in an activity making egg shapes with dough and decorating them. Activities are well sequenced. For example, following the theme of Easter, staff supported children to learn about birds eggs, and children held baby chicks after they were brought to visit the nursery. However, staff do not always ensure that older children receive sufficient challenge to extend their learning and development even further.
• Staff in the pre-school room have created a rich and interesting series of activities that support children to celebrate and explore diversity and inclusion. For example, children explore the wider world by looking at a globe and discover the different countries around the world. Children who speak English as an additional language are well supported with visual images to help them understand their surroundings and communicate. Staff learn key words in different languages to help children to feel welcome from the first moment and be understood and able to communicate. Staff support older children to explore a diverse range of cultural and religious celebrations. However, younger children's learning experiences are mostly linked to local and regional festivals. Staff do not always support younger children to understand and respect diversity more fully.
• Managers and staff have created strong and positive relationships with parents. Managers regularly request formal feedback from parents, and their reflection on the responses influences positive change. For example, the opening hours of the nursery were changed to meet parent need. Parents report that they are happy with the care that their children receive, and that children make good progress in their learning. Military families feel very well supported. Managers go above and beyond to support families in need. For example, they have a crisis fund and toy library to help families in financial difficulty. They foster a feeling of community with events such a Easter picnics and festival days, where children and their families spend time together.
• The nursery has a good provision for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). The SEND coordinator is experienced and knowledgeable, and confidently guides staff to support children effectively. Children with SEND make good developmental progress, and their families feel well supported. The nursery has notable expertise and skill in communicating with sign language, which is securely embedded throughout the nursery.
• Staff support children to become confident communicators. They hold interesting conversations with children and give them time to think and respond to their questions. Children understand that their opinions matter. Staff read books to children often. For example, toddlers and babies enjoy sitting outside, cuddling a member of staff while they read a story.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• develop activities to consistently provide older children with further challenge
• extend opportunities to support younger children to understand and celebrate diversity more fully.