Merry Poppets Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are happy and motivated to learn during their time at nursery. They show a strong sense of belonging, as they settle quickly. Children independently choose from well-planned resources to meet their interests. For example, babies find 'treasure' in the sand tray. Younger children stir and scoop water and rose petals to make 'potions'. Staff interact with children thoughtfully to promote their learning. For example, pre-school children study a vase with flowers and use their imagination to paint their own pictures. Staff praise children, who smile with pride at their achievement.

Children develop their independence. Older children are becoming competent at putting on their waterproof suits and boots. They choose their snacks and pour their own drinks. Children know that they need to wash their hands before eating and after wiping their noses. Staff encourage all children to use a knife and fork correctly. Pre-school children are learning important skills to get them ready for school. Children's behaviour is good. They cooperate and share ideas about making dinner in the home corner. They understand daily routines and know when it is time to help tidy up. This helps to ensure a calm environment, where children show positive attitudes to their learning.

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

• The dedicated leadership team and staff team have worked hard to improve the nursery since the previous inspection. Staff receive compulsory training, regular observations, and the manager provides relevant feedback. This helps to maintain the quality of teaching to a good level. Nonetheless, the leadership team recognises that the monitoring of staff practice is not consistent enough to ensure high-quality teaching across the nursery.
• Children benefit from the clear focus on developing healthy lifestyles. They enjoy a wide range of fruit and healthy drinks for snack time. They learn about the importance of different food groups and the effect it has on their bodies. Children talk about milk containing calcium, which helps keep their bones and teeth strong.
• Children receive a range of opportunities to develop their language and broaden their vocabulary. Staff ensure that vocabulary is relevant to the children's experiences. They repeat words back to children so that they can learn to pronounce them accurately. This helps children to become effective communicators. All children participate in lots of singing, and staff talk to children during daily care routines, such as at nappy changing times.
• Staff ensure that they form good relationships with parents. They share information about children's progress and learning. Staff find out about children's interests and experiences from home. Leaders provide parents with information on a range of subjects, such as child development, sleep and toilet training. Parents speak highly of the nursery and feel included in their children's learning.
• Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and those who require additional support are quickly identified. The leadership team and staff work hard to monitor them closely. They put appropriate strategies in place to meet the individual needs of children. Relationships with other professionals are strong. The manager shares information with other agencies regularly regarding children's welfare and development. This helps all children to make good progress in their learning and development.
• Older children participate in group times to practise their listening and concentration skills. They sit together and discover items in a box. Babies sit to listen to stories and songs. However, group times do not always fully meet the needs of all children. Occasionally, group times are too large or last for long periods. Consequently, some children lose interest and become distracted.
• Staff skilfully weave mathematics and number into the children's play. For instance, younger children count toy dinosaurs. Staff challenge older children to try simple addition and match the quantity to the number.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• strengthen the monitoring of staff practice to develop their knowledge and understanding of how children learn so that all children benefit from a consistently high-quality learning experience
• review the implementation of group times, to maximise the learning opportunities for every child.