Mama Bear's Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Staff get to know the children well and are welcoming, gentle and kind, so children are happy to part from their parents. Staff work closely with parents to know babies' routines and meet children's needs successfully. This means children of all ages feel secure, which underpins their ability to learn.

Staff plan the environment effectively and implement the ambitious curriculum well. They enable children to become more and more independent, until they can lead their learning. For example, staff hold babies on their feet to strengthen their legs so they can pull themselves up to explore resources on tables. Toddlers confidently use a small slide and go off to find leaves to stick on their picture. Pre-school children experiment with transporting water from one container to another, working out problems such as how to get two bamboo pipes to join, building their resilience when they come apart. Children develop their critical thinking well, for example knowing that they need to place the pipes at an angle to let the water flow. Then they experiment with other items and discover that balls roll easily but a toy duck needs more water to move. Children show delight in their own achievements and persevere to complete a task.

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

• Through good monitoring, staff know what children can do and what they need to learn next. They use children's interests to engage them effectively. As a result of managers seeking feedback from teachers, the oldest children have more opportunities to sit and concentrate in adult-led activities. For example, they happily recall the colours they need to mix secondary paints and use cotton buds to practise their pincer grip while painting shapes.
• The special educational needs coordinator has a very good knowledge of her role, providing strong support to children, parents and staff. She is proactive in getting additional help and ensures funding is targeted effectively. Her support means staff are confident in planning, ensuring children with special educational needs and/or disabilities make good progress.
• Staff focus appropriately on supporting children's prime areas of development. Overall, they implement their recent training in promoting communication and language skills well. For example, staff use more pictures and sign, and they change the tone of their voice for different situations. They make good use of books, for example, to encourage young children to discuss going to the farm and to encourage older children to recall sea creatures. However, staff do not always extend younger children's mathematical language or ensure older children understand new vocabulary.
• Staff are calm role models. Children behave well, and staff provide good support to help them manage any conflict. They give children a five-minute warning so they all know when it is time to help tidy up. Staff help older babies to share and develop kind practices, such as giving out drinks to their friends. Older children learn to value others' ideas and manage their emotions.
• Children receive consistent messages from staff about keeping healthy. They have daily opportunities to be outside and enjoy energetic activities. They stay in the shade on hot days and learn from a young age the importance of wearing sunscreen and a hat. Staff encourage children to drink plenty of water. They demonstrate to toddlers how to wash their hands, and those children potty training know to wash their hands afterwards and put the paper towel in the bin.
• The management team does spot checks and questions staff to check their knowledge. Managers seek all their users' feedback to monitor the quality of the provision, sharing actions for improvements across all their nurseries. For example, they have reviewed their procedures for safeguarding children with dietary requirements and re-trained staff. The manager is currently overseeing meals in the toddler room, where children are inclined to eat each other's food.
• Partnerships with parents are a strength of the setting. Parents confirm that, as well as online records, they have good opportunities for in-depth discussions. Parents know how to support their children at home and have access to resources, including song sheets, videos, books and a recipe for play dough, to help them.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• focus staff development on helping young children to hear mathematical language and ensuring older children understand new vocabulary to enhance their language and communication skills further.