Manor House Nursery School Limited

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children of all ages appear incredibly confident, settled and happy in the stimulating and interesting setting. The highly trained and skilful staff are enthusiastic and motivating. As a result, children are incredibly engaged in their learning. Staff plan highly challenging activities and have an outstanding knowledge of how they implement their inspirational curriculum. For example, staff teach children about instruments, such as the saxophone, and children learn to play tunes on them. Staff teach all children how to use real tools safely. For example, younger children concentrate intently as they whittle, and older children learn how to use a sheath knife safely.

All staff are outstanding role models. Children's behaviour is impeccable. They have excellent levels of kindness and empathy. For example, they ask their friends and staff if they are okay and are interested in how they feel. Children show they have outstanding levels of respect and understanding for others. This includes being excited about their weekly visit to the local elderly care home. Children have an active role in planning activities they feel the residents might enjoy doing with them.

Children have extremely good opportunities to challenge their physical skills. This is evident when they confidently negotiate complicated equipment safely, such as tree swings and climbing walls. Children have an excellent understanding of healthy eating and lifestyles. Children learn about nutrition and discuss the sugar content of foods and other food benefits, such as protein and calcium.

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

• The extremely dedicated staff are highly knowledgeable and experienced. They are incredibly skilful in fulfilling their role of teaching children and instilling awe and wonder. For example, even the babies learn concepts such as evaporation and are encouraged to be extremely independent. This helps children to learn new skills and to be persistent and resilient as they learn. The managers and staff use additional funding to support the individual needs of children very well. They purchase a wide range of resources to support children to progress their development in their preferred way of learning. This includes resources to enhance their love of outdoor play.
• All staff and children have heartwarming relationships. Children are ecstatic during interactions and laugh uncontrollably as they play games together. Staff know all children incredibly well. They know what makes children unique and embrace their uniqueness as they plan to meet all children's individual needs. All children have an extremely positive attitude towards their learning and make outstanding progress. This includes children who speak English as an additional language and those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).
• All staff, including managers, support children with SEND exceptionally well. Staff attend specific training and use the knowledge they gain extremely effectively to meet the individual needs of all children. For example, they teach children to have a deep understanding of their feelings and how to self-regulate their emotions.
• The managers and staff build and maintain highly positive partnerships with parents and keep them incredibly well informed of their children's achievements and next steps in learning. For example, staff share activity plans and next steps in their children's learning and encourage parents to add to them. Parents are provided with regular webinar training on an extensive range of subjects to support their understanding of how the brain develops.
• All children, including babies, are extremely confident to communicate their thoughts and ideas. Staff successfully widen children's already extensive range of vocabulary. For instance, babies hear specific language linked to melting ice and, during a fascinating discussion about dinosaurs, they learn the words 'herbivore' and 'carnivore'.
• The managers and staff evaluate their practice together incredibly well. They regularly observe each other teach and interact with children. They use their findings to further enhance their already impressive practice. The managers highlight that they would like to continue to strengthen the opportunities children have to grow their own healthy produce at their allotment.
• Staff ensure that all children are incredibly valued and feel part of the setting, regardless of their backgrounds and communities. The setting is incredibly diverse and inclusive. For example, children and staff learn key words and nursery rhymes in other languages, such as Russian and Ukrainian. Children learn about dishes from around the world, such as the Albanian delicacy Tave Kosi.