Masbro Brook Green

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are happy at the nursery and greeted warmly by friendly staff. New children to the nursery are supported well to settle into their new environment. Children form close bonds with their key persons, who know them well. Children benefit from an ambitious and varied curriculum that staff plan well to help them to make good progress in their learning. Children feel secure. Staff are nurturing and provide children with lots of reassuring cuddles. Children are supported well to form good relationships with each other and staff. This helps them to feel safe and confident for the next stage of their learning. Children behave well and they understand the rules and boundaries. They learn to share and take turns with one another, with adult support.

Children freely explore their surroundings and enjoy being physically active in the natural, well-resourced and spacious garden. Children skilfully navigate the climbing and balancing equipment, developing their coordination and physical skills. They learn about the processes of planting and growing, using mint which they have grown to make 'mint tea' in the mud kitchen. Children become immersed as they carefully look for insects using their magnifying glass.

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

• The manager builds a curriculum that is heavily focused on developing children's language skills, as well as their personal, social, emotional and physical skills. The manager and staff team are dedicated to children learning these skills right from the beginning. Staff know children well and plan activities that build on their learning. However, staff are not consistently prepared or understand fully what they want children to learn during focused activities. Therefore, children do not engage for long enough to benefit from the teaching during the activity.
• Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and those from a disadvantaged background are supported very well. The manager and staff are dedicated to meeting their needs. They research and attend training to support children well. For instance, staff lead drop-in 'time to talk' sessions with parents to support their children's language development. They go out of their way to include children in every way possible.
• Staff have good relationships with outside professionals to support children with SEND. They work together to ensure that children make the best possible progress. This partnership enables staff to meet children's needs.
• Staff help children to develop their language skills. They listen attentively to children's thoughts and ideas, asking questions to extend children's learning. Children enjoy regular language group activities, songs and stories. However, at times, group activities are long and staff do not recognise when children have lost interest and are not fully engaged in their learning.
• Children's physical skills are developing well. Children enjoy chasing each other around the enclosed garden as they play imaginatively. Staff recognise that children's small-muscle skills are not as developed. Therefore, they support children to develop these skills. For example, children eagerly use scissors to cut play dough and use scoops as they fill pots with soil for planting.
• The manager and staff know families well. The manager has a good understanding of children's individual circumstances and needs. She ensures that support is given to parents to meet their children's needs. Parents are very complimentary about the support and communication which they receive from staff.
• The manager values everyone's contribution to the nursery and places a strong emphasis on staff's well-being. All staff are involved in reflecting on the nursery and planning improvements. For example, they recognised that children's interest in books and stories has reduced as they spend long periods of time outdoors. Therefore, staff have developed a cosy area for reading in the garden and are introducing a lending library.
• Staff are professionally qualified. They speak enthusiastically about their roles and say that they feel valued and supported by the manager. Staff are well supervised and meet regularly with the manager to discuss their professional development. They receive guidance and training to help them improve their skills and knowledge.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• enhance staff's understanding of what they want children to learn during focused activities
• support staff to recognise when large-group activities are too long and children lose interest.