Llangrove Leapfrogs

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children who attend this nursery are happy. They are greeted warmly as they arrive by staff who know them well and are attentive to their individual needs. They settle quickly because staff are kind and offer reassuring words of comfort. Children build close relationships with staff and demonstrate that they feel secure in their care. They snuggle happily with staff when listening to a story and seek them out for a reassuring hug.

Children are confident. They make choices in their play and are eager to participate in the activities available. They are becoming independent in self-help skills, such as going to the toilet and pouring their own drinks. Staff support children to develop their independence as they encourage them to have a go at putting on and taking off their own coats. Children behave well. They are polite and consider the needs of others. Older children help their younger peers to complete tasks. They use good manners as they say please and thank you spontaneously throughout the day. Staff are positive role models and have high expectations for children's behaviour. This results in a calm and friendly environment, where children make good progress in their learning and development.

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

• There have been some recent changes to the manager and the committee. These have had a positive impact on the quality of the care and learning children receive. The new manager works closely with the nominated individual, who is also the chair of the committee. They have a clear vision for the future and are determined and enthusiastic in their approach to facilitate change and provide high-quality provision. Staff and parents speak positively about the changes that have already taken place.
• Staff benefit from regular supervision meetings, where they can discuss their key children, their general well-being and professional development. The manager monitors staff practice through observations and uses this to identify any specific training needs that staff might benefit from.
• Planning is based on children's individual interests and what they need to learn next. All staff know the children well. Staff complete pertinent observations that help them identify where children are in their learning and what they need to learn next. This helps to ensure that children make progress.
• Children thoroughly enjoy the time they spend outdoors. They dig with diggers in the sand pit, ride bikes and manoeuvre cars with dexterity. Staff join in with children's play and children have fun as they explore and learn. Children learn about nature as they plant seeds. They know that seeds need water to help them grow. However, some activities are not always extended to fully expand children's learning and knowledge.
• Children develop literacy skills. They enjoy listening to stories and looking at books. They listen quietly as a favourite story is told with intonation and expression, although it is read quickly and staff do not fully extend children's involvement. That said, after the story, staff ask children to recall the animals that they can remember from the book.
• Staff engage children in conversation and listen to their responses. However, where they have concerns that there are gaps in children's speech and language, they do not seek advice or support in a timely manner to ensure children receive any additional support they may need.
• The premises are not always organised well enough. Occasionally, the door between the nursery and school is not locked, as school staff use some of the nursery facilities. Although this currently has little impact due to the layout of the room and the supervision of children, it could have the potential to become an issue if current supervision arrangements change. In addition, after lunch the temperature of the room drops because older children have free flow to outside while younger children sleep. Because the door to outside is constantly open, some children who are sleeping are positioned in a draught.
• Parents are happy with the care and learning their children receive. They know who their child's key person is and say that they receive lots of information about their child's day and what they are learning.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider must:

• improve the organisation of the premises; with specific regard to the door leading to the school and the temperature of the playroom for sleeping children after lunch. (by 3 February 2023)

The provider should:

• support staff to extend activities, so that children are fully involved and make the very best progress
• seek additional support or advice in a timely way when there are possible concerns about a child's development.