Mini-Springers Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are happy and engaged at this wonderful and vibrant nursery. The nursery is set out with an abundance of activities for the children to direct their own play and learning. This allows children to be independent and fully engrossed in whatever they choose to do. Staff carefully resource the environment using knowledge of the children's prior interests. Children benefit from being able to choose from indoor or outdoor activities, catering for all children's individual learning preferences.

The manager is extremely dedicated and passionate about delivering the best possible start for every child who attends. She provides a very inclusive environment which meets the needs of this diverse nursery. The nursery prides itself on every member of staff being multilingual. The manager herself has learned keywords in two languages to fully support the children's needs while at nursery. Multilingual parents are welcomed to the nursery. They teach the staff keywords that the children use at home.

Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are extremely well supported. A dedicated SEND teacher visits the nursery twice a week to help and support staff with targeted plans for children. The nursery also has two staff members that specialise in supporting children with SEND. A teacher of deaf children visits to provide help and advice for children who have a hearing impairment. This ensures that children are making the best possible progress.

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

• Children have lots of fun in the well-resourced outdoor environment. Children take manageable risks and delight in their accomplishments. For example, they independently ride tricycles down the garden path which has a small gradient. Children laugh and giggle as they zoom past their peers. Children experiment and lift their legs up off the pedals. Their faces light up with joy and excitement as the pedals turn by themselves. The staff use an egg timer so that children have a visible tool to help them recognise when their time is up and it is time to share with other children.
• Children are eager to play on the newly fitted rope swing. They absolutely love this new addition to the garden. They use the steps to mount the swing and use their legs to push themselves from one side to another, laughing and giggling with pleasure. Children generally behave well and are able to take turns. However, on occasion, some children do not understand that they must wait to take their turn on the swing, and they begin to push other children.
• Staff support children well with their early writing skills. Children independently write numbers and draw flowers using chalk. The staff skilfully engage the children in meaningful conversations about planting. Staff ask: 'I wonder what the seed will need to grow?' Children eagerly and confidently reply that the seed will need 'rain and sun from the sky'. Children recall knowledge of past experiences and talk about when they planted sunflowers in the nursery's garden.
• Children engage in imaginative play while in the mud kitchen. They use food such as cabbages and root vegetables donated by the local shops. They use the small muscles in their fingers to carefully peel away each layer of the cabbage. They pick up small stones and scatter them on a bed of mud, commenting that they are cooking pasta with sauce on top. These activities help to strengthen fingers in preparation for early writing.
• Leadership and management are exceptional. The manager is very passionate about upskilling her staff members at every opportunity. Staff feel well supported. They comment that the manager is aware of what the staff's interests are and their strengths and weaknesses. Therefore, staff receive tailored training. The manager is also keen to expose children to experiences that they would not usually have. These include baby opera, bhangra tots and yoga. This helps to expand children's knowledge of the wider world they live in.
• Parents are thoroughly satisfied with the nursery. They comment that they feel that their children are well prepared for school and are ready for their next stage in education. Parents speak highly of a nursery trip that was recently organised. They felt it was a wonderful opportunity for the parents and children.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support staff to implement behaviour management effectively, allowing children to know what behaviour is expected of them.