Lynwood Ashtree Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are safe and happy in this inclusive nursery. They show strong attachments to their key person or buddy as they welcome them. Babies reach out with a smile. Older children wave goodbye to their parents before helping to hang up their belongings. Staff count the stairs or ask them to find an amount of nappies from their bags. This helps to build an understanding of number.

Children behave well. Staff have high expectations, reminding children of positive nursery rules. Children engage in purposeful play as staff give new ideas for the chosen resources. For example, staff pretend plastic reels are trumpets. Children laugh and join in with making their own music. Children listen to staff and focus well during song time. Young children follow along with signs and begin to say new words. Older children make requests for favourite rhymes.

Children often choose to spend time in the outdoor area. The youngest children learn to balance as they navigate log paths. They feel secure with staff close by, smiling in response to praise and encouragement. Older children strengthen their large muscles as they navigate and jump safely from an obstacle course. They are proud of themselves as they climb up a purpose-built wooden tepee.

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

• Staff promote a love of reading. They carefully choose a book of the week for each age group. Children enjoy listening to the stories as staff read with enthusiasm and excitement. In addition, staff remind children of the story as they play. For example, when children choose blocks, they suggest they build a tower like 'Ted'. As a result, children often bring books to staff. This helps them develop new vocabulary and understanding.
• Children's emotional development is a priority. Staff teach children to identify emotions with pictures. These are always accessible to children to help them identify how they are feeling in the moment. As children progress through nursery, staff talk to them about how to help themselves feel good. For example, if they are hot or tired, staff suggest they could use shade or a cosy corner to rest. This helps children begin to recognise the importance of self-care.
• The special educational needs coordinator is a dedicated advocate for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). They use their knowledge and passion to access support and organise, where possible, transition to the most suitable provision for children's ongoing education. This gives children with SEND the best chance to build on what they already know and can do.
• Leaders spend funding promptly. They consider how to best support the individual children in receipt of the funding. For example, they add to children's life experiences by taking them to the theatre. This helps children, particularly the most disadvantaged, to broaden their understanding of the world.
• Children are keen to engage with staff. They respond with enthusiasm to staff's invitation to play. For example, toddlers quickly come over to join in with rolling cars through paint. Planned activities are well matched to what children need to learn next. This helps children make good progress from their individual starting points.
• Staff know children well. They use their interests to set up activities. For example, they use shaving foam to create an ice-cream shop outside. Overall, staff engage children in conversation about what they are doing. However, some adults are less skilled at extending children's learning as they play. This does not consistently help children make the very best progress possible.
• Leaders use current events, such as the football World Cup, to plan activities that extend children's knowledge. For example, older children have a challenge to put flags onto a map of the world as each team plays. They talk about food that is popular in each country before tasting it at lunchtime. This helps children build an appreciation of different cultures.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support less-experienced staff to recognise when to extend children's learning during their chosen play.