Meadow View Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children flourish at the nursery and make huge gains in their learning and development. They follow a clear and concise curriculum that focuses on exactly what they need to know. There is early intervention to ensure children with special educational needs and/or disabilities thrive. All staff thoroughly know and understand the overarching ethos of the nursery and precisely what children need to learn next.

Staff value children's home lives and experiences. When children learn English as an additional language, staff make books with recorded messages so children can hear their parent's voice and share this with their friends. Children rapidly gain a broad vocabulary as staff introduce them to new words. Older children practise saying the names of dinosaurs, and babies use sign language to express their needs. Babies become competent in understanding and using different expressions, such as 'milk' and 'more'. Older children are eloquent talkers who are experts on things that interest them. They joyfully talk with adults, engaging them in deep conversations.

Children's behaviour is excellent and staff consistently praise their kind and caring interactions with each other. Children share and take turns because staff develop the curriculum to focus on this and provide multiple ways for children to learn about how to play sociably together. For example, children make play dough, help to weigh out the ingredients together and offer each other ideas for improving their mixture. Children show high levels of confidence. Babies are secure and content. Their crying is minimal, as staff respond quickly to meet their needs.

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

• There is a simple yet highly ambitious curriculum in place. This is thoroughly embedded across the whole nursery. Staff demonstrate deep awareness of what children need to learn relevant to their age and stage of development. They recognise that children's development is not a race to achieve goals. Consequently, they revisit key aspects of learning, giving children a rich and secure understanding.
• Children are confident in applying what they learn. This is very evident when, for example, toddlers find a beetle in the garden and use their previous learning about minibeasts to identify it. They draw on their wealth of knowledge from first-hand experiences and books to talk about the beetle's colour, whether it has spots like a ladybird and how many legs it has. Older children apply their excellent mathematical skills as they use tally charts to count birds arriving in the nursery garden.
• There is swift and reliable intervention when staff identify that children need extra support with their learning. Staff develop highly effective plans of support. This begins before children even start at the nursery. When staff identify children's specific needs, such as how they prefer to communicate, staff undertake training to learn about these before children start at the nursery. As a result, from the very beginning, staff commit to meeting children's individual needs.
• Children show a consistently positive attitude in their play. They are inquisitive and questioning and this contributes towards their superb problem-solving skills. For example, when making dough, children recognise that it does not look like it should. As a result, they try different ways to change the consistency of their dough. This shows their tenacity and impulse to keep trying.
• All parents are welcomed and embraced by the nursery staff as true partners in their children's education. Through the parent forum, parents shape the nursery into the provision that they want and need for their children. Parents say that the nursery feels like an extension of home and that children develop exceptionally strong relationships with their key person.
• Staff have recently expanded on the settling-in arrangements for children. This has had a significant, positive impact on children's emotional well-being. Staff manage children's move between rooms and on to school equally well. They work tirelessly to ensure that they prepare children and their families extremely well for these changes. Older children show that they are starting to regulate their own emotions and show great empathy for others. If children do become upset, others in the group are quick to console them, for example, by giving them 'Daisy' the nursery comfort teddy to cuddle.
• Senior leaders ensure all staff receive high levels of support and supervision. Staff turnover is low and morale is high among the well-qualified staff team. The manager is an inspirational leader who motivates the staff effectively. All staff show genuine enthusiasm and passion in their work.