Manor Pre-School Ltd

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are happy when they arrive at the nursery and separate confidently from their parents. The friendly staff team welcomes them in and children are eager to explore the learning environment. Staff have good relationships with children and know their key children well. Staff gain valuable information from parents during the settling-in process. The activities on offer are tailored to children's interests and needs. They also take into account what children can do and what they need to learn next.

Children are encouraged and supported positively. Staff have high expectations of children and their achievements are celebrated. Children are well behaved and listen to staff. They play happily alongside other children and are shown how to take turns and wait patiently.

Children's individual needs are identified and well supported, particularly for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). The manager and staff have clear plans in place and share these with parents and other professionals to ensure that children's needs are met and targets are set. Bilingual children are supported by experienced staff who also speak their first language. This helps children to feel settled and secure. It also supports relationships with parents.

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

• The manager is a confident, reflective and ambitious leader. She supports the staff team well by meeting with them regularly, both individually and as a team. The manager is able to monitor staff's professional progress and can identify gaps in their learning. She is keen for staff to visit other local nurseries to gather new ideas and improve practice further. Staff have access to a variety of training opportunities, both online and face to face.
• The special educational needs coordinator (SENCo) is confident in her role. She works with key persons to look at the needs of children with SEND and supports and guides staff well. For example, she meets with staff to produce individual learning plans that help identify the children's needs and set achievable targets. These plans help staff to feel skilled to meet the needs of all the children. It also ensures that the nursery is fully inclusive.
• Parents are happy with the care and education that their children receive. They are grateful for the support that the staff provide and the flexibility the nursery offers. For example, the nursery offers children extra sessions if parents have a medical appointment that they cannot bring the child to. The staff update parents with their children's progress, both daily and, more formally, termly. Parents of children with SEND are met with regularly to monitor progress and to gain their views.
• Children enjoy healthy food at nursery. The menu is varied and well balanced and children thoroughly enjoy it. The nursery also promotes children's oral health with toothbrushing. They provide packs with toothbrushes and toothpaste to take home and encourage parents through their regular newsletter. This promotes children's health and encourages good routines for the future.
• Staff talk to children and narrate activities and explain the routines of the day. However, at times staff do not give the children enough time to respond to a question before they are asked another. At these times, children do not make progress with their speech and language development.
• Staff help children to extend their vocabulary by introducing new, unfamiliar words. For example, while playing with the doctor's set, the staff talk about using the thermometer and how it measures a fever. During these activities, children build on and extend words they already know to develop a broad vocabulary base.
• Children and staff celebrate the diversity of the nursery. They acknowledge and respect different cultures and staff include festivals and celebrations as part of the children's learning. This enhances the children's understanding of the world around them.
• The children have access to a well-planned and well-thought-out curriculum. The manager and staff understand the importance of knowing what the children can do when they start at the nursery so that they can plan effectively for their next steps. This ensures that gaps in learning are identified quickly and plans are put in place to address these.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support staff to develop children's communication and language by giving children enough time to respond to questions and share their thoughts and feelings.