Mayfair Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children attending this setting enjoy a calm, nurturing and welcoming environment. They are safe, happy and fully engaged in play experiences. Children play cooperatively together to achieve a result. For example, working together on large puzzles. Staff have high expectations of children's behaviour. Even the youngest children understand the rules and boundaries in place. Toddlers remind each other to use their walking feet inside, helping them to keep safe while playing. Staff provide children with a challenging and inclusive curriculum that helps to support their school readiness. For instance, children confidently serve themselves at mealtimes and learn to be responsible. Children develop their understanding of the world well. They recall releasing butterflies in the garden, naming the stages of the life cycle. Staff encourage children to make healthy choices, such as during discussions at mealtimes. Children take part in regular exercise sessions in the garden to help support physical activity and good health. Staff teach children how to wash their hands thoroughly and how to prevent any spread of germs. Children, including those with special education needs and/or disabilities (SEND), can make choices. Visual prompts, such as picture cards, help children to choose activities and understand what is happening next.

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

• The setting has effective procedures in place to help children settle in when they start. This helps to support a calm, nurturing environment for all children.
• Leaders and managers ensure there is an effective key-person system in place. Staff understand children's starting points. Planning is effective in helping children meet their next steps. Children are given appropriate levels of challenge based on what they already know and what they need to learn next. Children's progress is shared regularly with parents, such as in termly reports.
• Children are encouraged to problem-solve using knowledge of past experiences. For example, children identify the ingredients in a croissant using knowledge of bread making. Staff praise children for their suggestions, developing their confidence and self-esteem well.
• Partnership with parents is strong. During the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic, the setting stayed in contact with children and parents. Children were able to keep in touch with their friends and teachers, such as through online group video calls. This helped to maintain their existing friendships and support their emotional well-being. Weekly challenges were also set to help parents to continue to support children's learning at home.
• The setting is inclusive in its practice, recognising the needs of all children, including those with SEND. Staff adapt their practice to ensure activities enable all children to achieve their individual goals.
• Staff interactions with children are of a high quality. Staff ask questions and show interest in children's opinions. Language is modelled well to consistently build on children's vocabulary. During group times, children are given opportunities to say how they feel or share important news. This helps children to develop a sense of belonging within the setting.
• Leaders and managers have effective behaviour management policies in place. These help staff to manage children's behaviour in a positive way, such as encouraging children to use their walking feet inside and use 'kind hands'. Staff praise children when they do something positive to help encourage them to behave well.
• Overall, staff develop children's independence well. Children put on their own coats and shoes when it is time for outdoor play. Staff support children in the bathroom and teach them how to manage their personal hygiene independently. Occasionally, however, babies are not given enough freedom to make independent choices in their play.
• Children are prepared well for their move to school. For instance, staff have group discussions with children to help them become familiar with the new school routines, while supporting children's emotional well-being during the new changes.
• Leaders and managers support staff well through regular supervisions. Those undertaking qualifications are given support by mentors. The setting has a training manager who delivers regular training to all staff to enable them to support children's learning needs. This helps to support consistency in improving the quality of teaching across all age groups. A long-standing team supports consistency for the children and families.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support staff to recognise further opportunities for children's independent play, particularly for younger children, to enhance children's enjoyment and participation during their learning experiences.