Madhatters Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are extremely happy and demonstrate that they feel safe and secure in this home-from-home environment. They wave their parents off at the front door and embrace staff with hugs. Those children who are new to the setting enjoy plenty of cuddles and lots of reassurance. Consequently, they settle quickly and are keen to make independent decisions in their play. For example, younger children become immersed in painting activities. They express themselves as they make marks and actively talk about their drawings. Older children show good creative skills. They focus intently as they construct models using recycled materials. Children enthusiastically find what they need to complete their designs. They carefully peel and cut tape, which helps to build on the muscles in their hands and fingers.

Children spend a lot of time outdoors. They plant and harvest a variety of herbs, fruit and vegetables, and learn about life cycles. Children show a love of the natural world and clearly enjoy investigating nature. They excitedly lift logs, look through magnifying glasses and talk about what they find with genuine interest. Staff consistently praise children for their achievements, which boosts their self-esteem. Children play extremely well alongside staff and their friends, and show a positive attitude to learning.

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

• Staff plan an ambitious curriculum that focuses on what children know and can do. They provide children with a wide range of stimulating activities that motivate them to learn. For example, younger children squish and mould play dough into different shapes. They practise how to use scissors and use mathematical language in their play, such as 'bigger' and 'smaller'.
• Staff support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who speak English as an additional language highly effectively. The special educational needs coordinator leaves no stone unturned to remove barriers to learning. She reviews intervention plans with precision and forms strong links with other professionals involved in children's care. This ensures that children with identified delays in their learning receive support swiftly.
• The managers have a clear vision for future developments at the nursery. They have recently made effective changes to the two- to three-year-old room to support children in making further choices in their play. Supervision procedures are effective and managers provide staff with professional opportunities to extend their knowledge and skills. However, recent monitoring of teaching has not been precise enough to identify where some staff need additional support and guidance. On occasion, staff do not provide children with further challenge to extend and maximise their learning to the highest level.
• Partnership working with parents is highly effective. Staff regularly exchange information on children's ongoing progress through discussion and digital media. They share key information to help parents build on their children's future learning, such as their speech and language. Parents comment that staff treat their children as unique individuals and they flourish in their care.
• Staff support children's communication and language skills very well. They teach children new words to help build on their developing speech and vocabulary. For example, children pick herbs in the garden. They name them and talk about their enticing smell. Children are confident communicators. They transport their herbs to the mud kitchen and show excellent imagination as they discuss the pretend meals they are cooking.
• Children have a variety of experiences to support their literacy skills. For example, staff provide cosy and inviting reading areas where children enjoy listening to stories and looking at books independently. This helps children to prepare for their future learning in readiness for school.
• Staff promote children's health and well-being highly effectively. They provide children with a variety of nutritious snacks and talk to children about the importance of making healthy food choices. Children actively discuss why they need to take regular exercise. Their laughter fills the air as they jump in puddles and whizz around on the ride-on toys. Children behave well. They form close friendships and willingly share and take turns when using the resources.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• strengthen arrangements for coaching and support, to help staff understand how to provide children with further challenge in their learning.