Meadows Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are safe and happy at this cosy and inviting nursery. Staff create a homely environment for all children. They greet children and their families very warmly each morning. This sets the tone for the day very effectively. Children settle well and thoroughly enjoy their time with the staff and their peers. Children's behaviour is good. They happily include each other in their play and are very polite and welcoming to visitors. Staff act as good role models for children. They demonstrate how to make children new to the setting feel welcome and included. Children show the same care and kindness to others too. Children show through their behaviour and interactions just how 'at home' they feel.

Staff plan activities, experiences and resources that provide children with a suitable variety of learning opportunities. Children of different ages have lots of opportunities to develop their social skills, through their interactions with each other and staff. There is a very inclusive feel to the nursery, with older children being very kind and considerate towards babies and younger toddlers. The curriculum is planned to give children opportunities to progress across the different areas of learning.

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

• Overall, staff support children's developing language well. Babies delight in listening to simple rhymes and songs. Staff are very effective at meeting the needs of children who speak English as an additional language. Staff ensure they understand the words that children may use to make their needs known. They consistently and clearly model words in English. This results in children who feel very included and are confident to ask for more and more language to add to their developing vocabulary.
• Children aged two years and over take part in daily group-time activities. There is some useful learning at these times. For older children, there is quite a narrow focus on letters and sounds and numbers at these times. This, and the amount of time given to this style of teaching, limits opportunities for some children to develop and practise the skills they most need to. For example, there are fewer opportunities at these times for very confident children to learn about turn taking in conversations or less confident children to contribute their ideas.
• Staff provide a stimulating and interesting learning environment, especially outdoors. Children really enjoy these opportunities to follow their own interests. For example, to make potions at the mud kitchen or pretend to be pirates looking for treasure. These opportunities help children develop into inquisitive and curious learners. Sometimes, staff are less confident to further extend children's learning at these times than during periods of more formal teaching.
• The key-person system is used very effectively to nurture close and trusting bonds with children. This further enhances children's sense of security. Babies are cared for by the member of staff who knows them best. They snuggle in for cuddles and delight in her company. Older children show equally close bonds with their key staff.
• Staff make children feel welcome and unique. They value the different cultural backgrounds and experiences they bring with them. They celebrate days that are special to children. These also provide worthwhile opportunities for children to learn about cultures other than their own. For example, children learned about different clothes and food during 'Mexican Day'.
• Parents could not praise the kindness of the staff any higher. Several comment on how lucky they feel to have found this nursery. They value the flexibility it gives them in their working lives and the support they are given to continue their children's learning and development at home.
• The manager strives to develop and improve the nursery further. She supports staff to undertake training to enhance their teaching skills and the curriculum further. For example, training on the process children need to go through to be confident writers has led to a renewed emphasis on developing the muscles and control children need before they can hold and use a pencil effectively.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• develop planning for group times, so staff focus teaching more precisely on what children will most benefit from learning next
• support staff to confidently make the most of children's freely chosen play to further extend children's knowledge and skills.