Mi Nursery Beacon Lights

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children demonstrate that they are happy and feel safe at the nursery. Staff are caring, greeting children with friendly smiles. They create a calm and welcoming environment, helping children to feel settled and secure. Children who are new to the nursery receive extra support and emotional comfort, helping them to build strong attachments with staff from the start. Staff have high expectations for children's behaviour and model respect and kindness. Children learn to take turns, share resources and understand the impact of their actions. Staff support children to manage their own behaviour and to help keep each other safe. For example, older children wait for their younger friends on the stairs. This helps to build children's independence and sense of responsibility.

Children show resilience and curiosity in their play, exploring activities with confidence and interest. The curriculum is well planned and helps children to experience a wide range of activities. Children build knowledge, skills and understanding across all areas of learning. Staff support children to persevere with tasks. For instance, children learn how to use plastic hoops and climbing equipment proficiently. This supports children's confidence and helps them to develop positive attitudes towards learning.

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

• Staff deliver a curriculum that is well sequenced and builds on children's existing knowledge and skills. For example, children develop the small muscles in their hands in readiness for early writing through 'dough disco' activities. This ensures that all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, build firm foundations for learning and are well prepared for school.
• Children benefit from regular stories and rhymes. Children who speak English as an additional language are supported well. Staff use repetition and gestures along with key words in children's home languages. This builds children's vocabulary, supports communication and helps to develop their listening and attention skills.
• Children enjoy a wide range of physical play. In the garden, they use climbing equipment, bicycles and scooters. Staff encourage children to try new challenges, such as learning to use the plastic hoops. This helps children to develop their confidence and coordination.
• Staff use rich mathematical language during play. Children count objects and the number of jumps and steps they make. They learn key contextual vocabulary, such as over, under, in front and behind, as they navigate obstacle courses. These playful experiences help children to apply early mathematical concepts in meaningful ways and prepare them well for their future learning.
• Staff encourage curiosity by asking children what might happen if they spray coloured water on the floor, for example. Children notice the changes, such as the red and blue turning purple. This supports children's developing language and problem-solving skills.
• Children learn about the importance of healthy lifestyles through daily routines and activities. Staff use snack times to teach children food preparation skills and to make choices. This helps to support children's overall well-being and encourages healthy habits.
• Staff provide interesting experiences by keeping chickens in the garden, first introduced through a hatching programme. Children help collect eggs and use them in cooking activities, such as making omelettes. This helps them learn where food comes from, which embeds their understanding.
• Routines are well established, helping children learn independence skills such as washing hands and pouring drinks. However, children are sometimes moved on too quickly from activities they are deeply engaged in during these key times. This limits the time they have to consolidate their learning and fully develop their concentration skills.
• Children benefit from regular outings in the local community, including visits to the park and the shops. These outings help to develop children's understanding of the world around them. As a result, children talk confidently about what they have seen and learned. For example, they remember the food items they purchased from the shops.
• Parents are actively involved in their children's learning. Staff provide regular updates regarding their children's development. Staff provide guidance on weaning, toileting and school readiness. This helps parents to reinforce learning at home and provides consistency of care.
• Leaders provide staff with effective coaching and training. Staff learn consistent approaches through induction and supervision sessions. This helps to continually improve the quality of teaching and ensures that children benefit from supportive interactions with skilled staff.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• strengthen the organisation of activities and daily routines to support children to engage more deeply in all learning opportunities.