Melton Mowbray Nursery School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are supported by staff to confidently build on what they know and can do. Staff offer children ample opportunity to practise using their developing skills. For example, younger babies sit close to staff as they share a book together. Staff encourage the babies to take turns feeling the different textures in the book and turning the pages. Older babies use these developing social skills during a turn-taking game, where staff support them to wait patiently until it is their turn to choose a song prop. Older children demonstrate these skills independently at mealtimes. They share cutlery between themselves and politely pass around bowls of food so that they can each serve themselves lunch. Staff are teaching children the skills they need to make friends and get along well with others.

Children's focus on learning is sustained because staff follow children's interests to engage them in activities. Recently, younger children have been excited by transport. They stand at the window to spot different vehicles going by. To extend this learning, staff take the children to the roadside, where they safely position themselves and watch traffic pass. Children repeat as staff shout, 'Beep beep!' They hold signs and wait in anticipation to see if any of the motorists respond by tooting their horns. Children copy staff and name different vehicles. They greet members of the community with a wave and a hello. Staff are teaching children about what makes their community unique.

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

• Leaders and managers regularly evaluate the setting and staff's practice. Through this, they look at what is working well for children and identify areas for development. This drives continual improvement. Lately, leaders and managers have made changes to the learning environment and have added new resources that give children more challenge in their play. Children's learning and development are accelerated because of this.
• Effective performance management systems support staff's positive well-being and maintain their high-quality teaching skills. Leaders and managers identify training gaps through observing staff's interactions with children. They discuss staff's professional development during supervision meetings. Staff have recently learned more about supporting children's emotions. They use this knowledge to help children to quickly settle and become deeply involved in play.
• Staff successfully fulfil their role as a key person. They work closely with parents to get to know their key children well. They effectively share information with other staff so that children's care and learning needs are consistently met. New children settle quickly because of the tailored care and attention they receive from their key person. This supports their emotional security.
• The impact of staff's teaching is quickly evident. Staff use adult-led activities to teach children new skills. For example, they teach pre-school children the numerical value of digits through counting conkers. Children count a group of conkers and match this amount to the correct number symbol. Children go on to independently use this skill in their role play as they count the number of conkers needed to make a pretend cake.
• Staff help children learn how they can be kind and helpful. For example, they encourage children from a young age to help to tidy away and look after their play environment. Staff teach children strategies that they can use if they are feeling upset or frustrated. For instance, they have created calm spaces where children can relax and regulate their emotions.
• Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are cared for exceptionally well. Staff are quick to adapt the routine of the day to meet their individual needs. Accurate assessment means that staff promptly identify gaps in children's learning, and referrals to external support services are timely. However, communication with these services is not always frequent. Some children's targets are not reviewed and updated regularly enough with the input of specialist professionals.
• Staff know what they want children to learn. Children's play is purposeful and staff carefully consider children's learning goals when they plan activities. However, on occasion, staff do not use the best strategies to maximise children's development. For example, sometimes, staff do not give children enough time to participate fully in singing activities for them to practise using their developing language.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• communicate more regularly with external services, where necessary, so that children's learning and development are frequently reviewed with the input of specialist professionals
• support staff to extend the strategies they use to promote children's good development, in particular to maximise children's use of language.