MEplace

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are happy and behave well in this nurturing, home-from-home environment. Staff form strong bonds with children. Staff offer cuddles and reassure children who are upset. They help them to settle quickly and feel safe and secure. There is a strong focus on children's emotional well-being. For example, during circle time, children select emotion stones and discuss how they feel. Staff support children who are struggling with their feelings. They provide a safe space to talk, and children can hold 'Gentle George teddy bear' for additional comfort.

Staff plan in the moment, providing a topic-based approach. Staff know children well and follow their interests. They know what they can do and develop clear plans for their next steps. There is a strong focus on mindfulness and physical development. Children have opportunities to engage in a range of activities, including yoga. Children go to the park daily and are offered plant-based healthy options. This teaches the children the importance of adopting a healthy lifestyle, in body and in mind. Babies have sensory opportunities. For example, they use shaving foam to find arctic animals in the snow. Staff encourage turn taking, modelling behaviour expectations. Babies clap their hands in the foam to make it snow. This develops children's creative skills.

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

• Children understand what makes them distinct and appreciate each other's differences. Children learn about people who have made a positive contribution to society, explore the countries they are from and celebrate music from around the world. Babies use mirrors to look at themselves. Staff discuss their unique features and differences. Older children engage in activities to celebrate Black History Month. This helps children to appreciate the diverse world in which they live.
• There is a strong focus on promoting a love of reading. There is a quiet, cosy reading corner, with a wide range of different books, that motivates children to read. Children self-select books and retell the story to their teachers.
• There are many opportunities to develop children's mark making and fine motor development. For example, babies use spoons to fill buckets and cake trays with sand. Older children use scissors to cut strips in paper. There are painting and drawing opportunities throughout. This supports children's next steps in writing.
• Children enjoy free choice and playing with their friends. Overall, staff support them well. However, at times, staff need to take more time to listen, observe and allow children time to respond to their questions. This would allow children time to think and share their ideas.
• Children demonstrate their positive attitudes to learning. For example, children enthusiastically sing and dance to a butterfly song. Staff model the actions and rhyming words of the butterfly as he flies 'high in the sky' and 'lands quick on a stick'. Children listen intently and follow the actions with the adults and each other. Children behave very well.
• There are many opportunities throughout the nursery for children to develop mathematical skills. For example, children are encouraged to count coloured pom-poms in numbered cups using tweezers. Staff begin to embed concrete strategies for addition and subtraction and use language of 'more', 'less', and 'total'. For instance, staff ask children, 'how many do you have in total?' and 'how many are left if we take two out?'
• Parents are happy with the nursery. They receive regular communication from staff. They feel that the managers listen to their feedback and respond accordingly. Parents are supported well by staff, who offer ideas on how to help their children learn at home.
• Leaders show passion for the nursery's values. They recognise staff's strengths and support them with training opportunities. Staff have regular supervision meetings and are given 'growth days' to reflect on their practice.
• The special educational needs coordinator (SENCo) uses her knowledge to support children well. She helps staff to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). In addition, she communicates with staff and parents to provide updates. However, there is scope to build firmer links with other professionals in order to set specific targets and access earlier help for children with speech and language difficulties.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support staff further in developing secure links with other professionals to achieve earlier intervention for children who require additional support
• allow children more time to respond when asking questions, to help them share their ideas.