Mama Bear's Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Leaders have addressed the action raised at their last inspection well to improve the planning and implementation of the curriculum. Staff now monitor the impact of children's progress and help them to recall past knowledge and build on their existing skills. All children make good progress, including those who need additional support. Staff support children who learn English as an additional language effectively. For example, they use visual cues and hand signs to help communicate with the children to ensure they understand daily routines and feel settled.

Children feel happy and secure. They form positive relationships and have strong attachments with staff who know them well. Children know the attentive staff keep them safe and they are confident and relaxed around adults who visit the nursery.

There is an ambitious personal, social and emotional curriculum in place. Staff know what children need to learn next and help children manage their emotions and say how they feel. For example, when pre-school-aged children become overwhelmed, they tell staff and request to read a book. Staff acknowledge this, play alongside them and read the book. These children settle quickly and regulate their emotions effectively. Other pre-school-aged children who want to listen to the rain while they eat lunch can have their lunch in the conservatory. These children show high levels of well-being. Children know their voice is important and they feel valued.

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

• All children are independent and learn how to do things for themselves. Staff show babies how to lift and hold a cup at lunchtime. Babies practise this skill and staff praise them for their efforts. Toddlers pour water into their cups and scrape their plates after lunch. Pre-school-aged children clean up spilt sand after they have played with it. They collect a dustpan and brush. These children identify that this is a hazard and work cooperatively to reduce the risk of slipping.
• Staff support pre-school-aged children to use good manners and take turns. Staff remind children of the rules and to use the sand timer, so all children get a turn on their favourite bike. Pre-school-aged children say 'please' and 'excuse me' to each other. They follow the rules and turn the sand timer over when it is their turn.
• Staff support the younger children's learning well. Toddlers and babies benefit from staff input to broaden their knowledge and understanding of numbers for example. Staff count out spoons of pretend mud with them. The children watch as staff count from one to four, and some toddlers join in. However, staff do not always organise group activities to motivate all toddlers to engage and further their learning. For example, at times, some toddlers disengage in adult-led activities and wander off to play on their own.
• Pre-school-aged children develop a love of books and receive good support to extend their vocabulary effectively. For example, staff read a well-known storybook to them about a bear. Staff read with expression and bring the story to life. Pre-school-aged children are inspired and search different areas of the room to find the bear. Staff support these children to build on their past knowledge and recall phrases from the story.
• Staff support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities effectively. For example, staff give children clear instructions when it is time to move on to another activity. They give children a countdown in minutes, so they know how much time they have left and what is coming next. Children respond positively to this and move on to the next activity smoothly.
• Toddlers have good opportunities to be imaginative and explore the world they live in. In the role-play area, children re-enact experiences from home. They pretend to feed their 'babies' a bottle of milk and rock them to sleep. Staff extend their imaginative play and provide blankets for the dolls. They help toddlers to share and ensure there are enough dolls and blankets for all of them to play with. However, at times, staff do not further toddlers' communication and language skills effectively. Staff speak quickly and ask toddlers many questions but do not give them enough time to process their thoughts and respond.
• Leaders provide regular training for staff to enhance their practice and improve learning outcomes for children. As a result, staff have re-designed the pre-school role-play area to promote children's language. Following this, children spend extended periods in the 'communication friendly space' talking to one another and engaging in rich conversation.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• organise group times to motivate all toddlers to engage and further their learning
• develop toddlers' communication and language skills further to give them enough time to process their thoughts and respond to questions.