Melrose Nursery School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The nursery is a happy, safe and very caring place for children to be. Children arrive excited and are keen to begin their day. Leaders greet children at the door and share important information with parents. Children enjoy their time at the nursery and make good overall progress in their development. Over time, they build the skills that they need for writing. For instance, older children use forceps to pick up objects in sand and younger children use magnetic grids as they develop fine control in their hand muscles.

Children behave exceptionally well and they develop confidence and self-awareness. Staff listen intently to children and take time to explain what is expected of them. Children make independent choices in their play as they explore together harmoniously the stimulating environment. They show immense kindness and consideration to others as they learn to share and take turns.

Children enjoy investigating snow in the well-resourced outdoor area. They break ice and experiment by mixing it with mud. They also have opportunities to be creative and re-enact stories. For example, older children play the roles of three pigs and a wolf in the playhouse. Younger children ride around on scooters safely, with increasing skill and coordination.

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

• Staff have a good overall understanding of how children learn and develop. They know their key children very well. They evaluate children's development and plan a curriculum to meet the diverse needs of children and to prepare them in readiness for the next stage in their learning.
• Children joyfully use the nursery environment, indoors and outdoors, to extend their learning. Staff organise resources purposefully to extend children's curiosity and inspire them to explore and experiment. Young children use cosy areas to sit and enjoy reading from vast selections of books throughout the nursery. Staff are always available to enhance children's use of new words and imagination through their deep interest in books. Older children demonstrate very good skills in mathematical activities on shapes and counting.
• Staff work effectively together to support children who speak English as an additional language and children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). They quickly identify any child who may need additional support and engage with specialist professionals so that children are assessed promptly. Occasionally, staff do not adapt their good teaching strategies to provide even more support during activities for children with SEND to further extend their knowledge and skills.
• Parents praise the hard work of the staff, saying that their children love attending and progress well. They feel that their children are very happy and settled in the nursery. Staff provide parents with regular information about their children's learning. Staff create individual booklets with photos of children's activities which children and parents can look at and discuss.
• Staff have positive interactions with children, which motivates children to join in and have a go at problem-solving. They give children lots of praise and encouragement to support their confidence and self-esteem. For instance, children beam with great pride when they manage to balance their building block construction.
• The manager is committed to providing children with a variety of outdoor experiences. For instance, children take part in weekly sports sessions run by a sports coach, such as tennis, football and yoga. This helps to support their physical development as well as teach them to follow instructions and work with others.
• Children eat freshly cooked, healthy and nutritious meals according to their specific dietary needs. They are encouraged to be independent and staff support their well-being through daily routines. Younger children feed themselves and all children manage their own self-care skills. For example, they discuss why peas and sweet corn are important to eat. Later, they clear their plates competently.
• Leaders of the setting are ambitious and communicate high expectations to staff. The well-qualified and experienced staff team works extremely well together. Staff reflect on their practice and the learning experiences they provide for children. The manager makes good use of supervision meetings to support staff's well-being effectively.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support children with SEND further so they are fully engaged and extend their learning to a higher level.