Lucy Lockets Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children enthusiastically enter the nursery. They separate from parents easily as they are greeted by the caring staff team. Staff understand their role as key persons. They support children to build strong attachments. Children are happy, feel safe and have a strong sense of belonging here. They are well cared for and have the attention and support they need to succeed. The manager and staff implement a flexible settling-in period for children when they first start and when they move to new rooms. Staff also support children's transition from nursery to the next stage of their education well. This helps to increase children's confidence and prepares them well for their move to school.

Staff implement a curriculum that is flexible and allows children to make progress at their own individual pace. They use positive language and interact kindly with children. Staff support children to learn about sharing in ways that are appropriate for their age. Children are developing a good understanding of what is expected of them. Staff also help children to learn about a healthy lifestyle. Through the games they play with children, they promote learning about how to brush their teeth and to have good oral and physical health. For example, pre-school children use 'stethoscopes' in play and pretend to brush play teeth as if at the dentist's. Children are learning what contributes to their good health.

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

• The manager has an ambitious curriculum for the development of children's communication and language. Staff make good use of stories and songs to help children to build their vocabulary. However, sometimes, staff use closed questions when speaking with children. This does not help children make consistently good use of their developing vocabulary and language skills.
• Staff promote children's physical development well. They enable all children to benefit from regular outdoor play. They provide access to wheeled toys outside that support children to develop the skills of balance and pedalling. Children practise using their large-muscle skills as they run, jump and climb. Children's large-muscle development is progressing well.
• Staff have developed strong partnerships with parents. Parents are very happy with the quality of care provided and compliment the hard-working staff. All staff provide parents with information about other services that they can access. Furthermore, they make suggestions for activities that parents can use to help extend learning at home. This strong communication supports continuity in children's care and learning.
• Staff set appropriate boundaries for children and help them to understand the expectations of the nursery. For instance, staff model using good manners and encourage children to use their 'listening ears'. Children follow the rules well.
• However, staff do not place enough emphasis on helping children learn how to identify and express their feelings. This means that, on occasion, some children struggle to manage their emotions.
• The special educational needs coordinator actively supports children to reach their full potential. Staff work closely with any professionals involved to promote individual children's learning. The manager uses funding well to ensure that it helps children to make good progress. For example, she enhances staffing ratios to help children access all areas of learning. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities make good progress from their individual starting points.
• Leaders and staff work well as a team to ensure that children get a good start to their early education. They have regular staff meetings and opportunities to share their views and opinions. Thorough inductions and mentoring sessions help to ensure that staff understand their responsibilities well. Staff attend regular training courses to continuously improve their knowledge. This helps them continue to deliver good-quality education.
• Staff provide additional activities that build on children's interests and broaden their experiences. For example, a visit from the local fire service helped children learn about what is inside a fire engine, such as the equipment they carry. Children were delighted at a visitor showing a pet snake, and they learned how the snake sheds its skin. Children are broadening their understanding of the world around them.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support staff to use techniques that help children to use their growing vocabulary and language skills more
• support staff to develop children's understanding and the language of feelings, to help them learn how to better manage their emotions.