MD Doncaster Limited T/A Stadium Stars Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The newly formed management team has made improvements to the quality of provision for all children. The team has a clear vision and are working closely with staff to develop their practice and support their continuous professional development. There is now a clear curriculum in place, which staff implement well. Staff understand the learning potential of activities and are aware of how to support their key children to build on their prior knowledge and skills. Support is now in place for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). This helps to close identified gaps in their achievement.

Children are happy and are well supervised, which helps to keep them safe from harm. The recent addition of accessible toilets has increased children's independence with their self-care. Daily routines have been established, which children are learning to respect and adhere to. Children behave well. They are eager to join in activities and make requests for their favourite ones. Children, including those with SEND, enjoy playing games where staff help them to learn how to share and take turns. For example, children are encouraged to wait for their turn when rolling a ball down a ramp onto a number mat. Some children skilfully identify the number that their ball has landed on. For children who are unsure, the staff member identifies the number for them.

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

• Staff are kind, caring and considerate. They interact positively with children to support their care, learning and development. Staff offer comfort and reassurance when children become upset, which helps them to feel emotionally secure. As part of the new routine, staff are encouraging children to learn to tidy up after themselves, so that they have more respect for their environment.
• Management work closely with staff. They oversee their practice, offering clear support and guidance. Staff well-being is supported. Staff confirm the positive improvements made, which have enabled them to provide more-effective care and learning experiences for each child.
• Children's independence is a key skill that is now promoted. Staff encourage children to learn to wash their hands as part of the daily routine. They also encourage children to access tissues and to try to wipe their own nose. Children, including those with SEND, learn that they must sit at the table when eating.
• Children develop their communication and language skills. Staff model the correct pronunciation of words and continually chat to children as they play. However, when asking children questions, staff are sometimes too quick to answer for them. This means that children are unable to fully consider what has been said and respond for themselves.
• The recent introduction of drinks bottles has supported children to freely access their drinks when they become thirsty. It has also helped children to drink more water throughout the day.
• Staff safely escort children to the outside play area. Children are encouraged to identify if there are any cars coming before they cross over the road. The enclosed outside area provides children with space to be physically active. Children learn to ride trikes. As they develop their skills, they progress to learning to ride balance bikes. Crates and planks of wood create further opportunities for children to test their balancing skills.
• Sharing, turn taking and managing their own emotions are key aspects that staff support children with. Minor squabbles over resources are sensitively managed. Staff praise children as they help them to wait for their turn and share with their friends.
• Core rhymes and stories have been introduced to further support children's communication skills and interest in books. Staff support children's growing awareness of number through the introduction of fun number songs. Props are used to engage children during singing activities. However, children's interest is not always successfully sustained during story times. This is because staff do not use a range of strategies to help children to actively engage with the story.
• Parents confirm that they like the flexibility offered by the nursery regarding children's attendance, which fits in with their work schedules. They explain how they are kept informed about how their children have been each day and their progress. Parents explain that their children are encouraged to take books home so that they can share these with them.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support all staff to provide children with plenty of processing time when speaking with them, so that they have enough time to understand what has been said and think of their own reply
• consider how to support staff to improve their storytelling methods to help children to become actively engaged with stories and maintain their interest.