Lullabies Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are happy in this welcoming, nurturing environment. Staff quickly form strong bonds with children and their parents enabling them to feel safe and secure. Parents feel supported by the nursery and are regularly invited to 'parent forums' to help them support their children at home. Staff know children well and plan experiences around their individualised targets, as well as their interests. The nursery works closely with external agencies to ensure that all children make the progress expected of them for their age and stage of development. Parents receive daily communication from the nursery and termly information about their children's progress.

Children behave well and staff remind them of behaviour expectations. For example, children wait and listen to instructions from staff before racing their cars down numbered lanes. Staff remind children about being kind to one another and using 'gentle hands' when playing with friends.

The nursery actively promotes the importance of oral hygiene. Parents are advised of their nearest dentist. Children are taught the importance of seeing a dentist to check their teeth are healthy. Staff teach children how to brush their teeth at nursery. They model the actions alongside the words, 'brush the big back ones and the front ones and move the brush from side to side'. Children enjoy engaging in this daily routine and show increasing independence within this area.

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

• There are many opportunities for children to develop their small-muscle skills. Children enjoy filling containers with sand and flour using spades and spoons. They dig in the mud kitchen and make crushed ice into snowballs. Babies enjoying throwing and catching small balls in the ball pit. This supports children in developing the strength in their hands needed in preparation for early writing.
• The nursery promotes a love for reading. Children enjoy the designated library where they can take books home to share with their parents. Staff enjoy reading stories to children. For instance, they use big books to teach children about different emotions. Staff ask children a range of questions to encourage them to share their ideas. However, they do not consistently give children enough time to respond to their questions to further support their communication and language development.
• Children enjoy learning about the importance of healthy eating as part of a healthy lifestyle. They enjoy tasting a variety of fruit and vegetables. Children talk about their likes and dislikes. Staff encourage children to try the fruit and vegetables on offer. They using facial expressions to model the new vocabulary of 'sweet',' sour', 'juicy' and' crunchy 'to help children describe the different tastes.
• Staff have high expectations when promoting children's independence. Babies wash their hands and feed themselves with spoons. Older children cut and peel their own fruit at snack time and serve themselves vegetables at lunchtime. Children are given tissues to blow their own noses and wipes to clean their faces after mealtimes. Staff support children in changing for outdoor play from their shoes into wellington boots.
• Children respond well to instructions for moving safely around the building. Staff reinforce the 'magic rules' of trying their best and using their 'listening ears'. Most children respond to their instructions. However, not all children are clear about times when they are required to stop and listen to instructions for planned activities. Staff do not consistently use strategies to support children with understanding their expectations during these times in order to further support children's skills in listening and attention.
• Children learn about the effect of exercise on their body as they run, jump and race to collect treasure during a sports session. The well-resourced outside area further supports children's physical development. Babies enjoy balancing on balance beams and climbing through tunnels and over bridges. Older children enjoying kicking balls and playing on the see-saw.
• Leaders strives for continuous improvement. They place great emphasis on staff training and ensure that all staff have opportunities to gain recognised early years qualifications. Staff receive regular supervision meetings allowing them to discuss their professional development and their key children. Staff report high levels of well-being and enjoy being part of this supportive team.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support staff to use consistent strategies to further develop children's attention and listening skills
• give children more time to respond to questioning to further support their communication and language skills.