Mila Moos Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are eager and happy to attend this welcoming nursery. They form strong bonds with the nurturing staff team and demonstrate that they feel secure. Staff provide meaningful experiences that excite and motivate children. Children enjoy exploring the environment and choosing what they would like to play with. This supports their ability to make independent choices and have autonomy over their play. They take the lead in their own learning during experiences and maintain high levels of engagement.

Staff have high expectations for children and their development. They provide children with an abundance of opportunities to build on their physical skills. Children access low-level climbing equipment and take part in dance and movement sessions indoors. They delight as they ride around the garden on bicycles and scooters, using their feet to push them along. Younger children demonstrate excellent coordination as they scoop and transport rice into containers. Older children successfully strengthen their hand muscles as they roll, squash and cut play dough.

Staff encourage children to work together during learning experiences to form friendships and further build on their personal, social and emotional development. Children are kind and respectful towards one another from a young age. They actively share resources and demonstrate that they understand rules and boundaries at this inclusive nursery. They consistently behave very well.

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

• Managers have a good oversight of the nursery. Staff well-being is prioritised. Staff comment that they feel valued by the manager and have a good work-life balance. Staff benefit from regular staff meetings and training opportunities to build on their existing knowledge. The manager regularly observes staff's practice. However, at times, some of the feedback she gives is not precise enough to help staff fully understand how to elevate their teaching to an even higher level.
• The curriculum for communication and language is well implemented. Staff recognise the importance of supporting children's communication and language development. Children are provided with opportunities to sing songs and rhymes. Staff ask children questions as they play to encourage their critical thinking and language skills. For children who speak English as an additional language, staff support their communication skills through a wide range of strategies. Children feel valued as staff use key words and read stories in their home language. In turn, children's language is developing well.
• Overall, children make good progress in their learning because staff have a clear understanding of what skills children need to learn next. Staff deliver a well-sequenced curriculum that reflects children's individual needs and interests. Although staff routinely monitor children's progress and use this information to inform future learning, there are times when they do not fully consider how to challenge older children's thinking even further. On occasion, this prevents their learning from being extended to the highest level.
• Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those in receipt of additional funding are effectively supported by staff. The special educational needs coordinator is experienced and committed to her role. She actively works with parents and professionals to support the best outcomes for children. Managers use additional funding well to provide specific resources that further enhance children's experiences and development.
• Staff successfully promote key values, such as democracy, during learning experiences. Children are confident to make their voice heard, such as when they are encouraged to vote from a choice of familiar songs to sing. Staff help children to understand the concept of a majority vote. This supports children to feel empowered, and it results in them displaying consistently positive attitudes towards their learning.
• Staff support children to identify and label their emotions. They facilitate discussions that help children to acknowledge their feelings and express themselves. Older children have great fun as they create 'worry monsters' using a variety of craft materials. These opportunities support children to manage their emotions and learn how to regulate themselves.
• Parents comment extremely positively about the care and education that their children receive. They say that the friendly and supportive staff know their children well and plan exciting experiences that meet their individual needs. They feel that communication between staff and themselves is strong, and that there is an open-door policy where they can approach staff with any feedback.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• build on the range of experiences for older children that challenge their thinking and further extend their learning
• provide more precise feedback to staff on their practice to help improve their existing teaching skills to a higher level.