Mini Vip's Childcare

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are very happy and settled at the nursery. They have strong attachments to their key person. Staff are caring and nurturing, giving children comfort and reassurance as needed. The provider ensures the curriculum focuses on younger children's emotional development and helps to ensure that older children are prepared well for their transition to school.

Staff have high expectations of all children. They consistently reinforce these through well-established routines, helping children understand what is expected of them. As a result, children develop a clear understanding of boundaries and behave well. They enjoy sharing and taking turns with their peers. Children develop strong social skills and show respect for staff and each other.

Children benefit from exciting and stimulating environments that capture their interest and curiosity. Staff help to foster children's independence and confidence. For example, children enthusiastically choose which resources and activities they want to engage with. They show sustained interest in their play and have positive attitudes towards their learning. Staff encourage children to care for their environment, and they willingly help to clean and tidy away toys. Children thrive at this nursery, and they all make good progress from their starting points.

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

• The provider has a clear and ambitious vision for the nursery. They have developed a strong and well-structured curriculum that covers all areas of learning. Staff skilfully support children to build on their existing knowledge and skills. They have a clear understanding of individual children's next steps and plan tailored activities to help them achieve these. Staff prepare children well for the next stage in their learning journey and transitions between rooms.
• Staff understand how to support children's communication and language development extremely well. Babies benefit from attentive interactions as staff sing, babble and engage in meaningful exchanges, supporting children's early language skills. Older children learn new vocabulary linked to the themes and topics they are exploring. For example, they learn a range of words to express their emotions and feelings through reading stories and playing parachute games. For instance, they sing about a range of emotions to the tune of 'If you're happy and you know it' as they move the parachute up and down. This enhances children's listening and speaking skills and builds their self-confidence and self-esteem.
• Children's care needs are sensitively and effectively met. During routine activities, such as nappy changes, staff take the time to explain to children what they are doing and use these moments as valuable opportunities to engage in meaningful communication. These respectful interactions help children to feel safe and secure, further supporting children's language development and emotional well-being. Older children develop independence in their self-care skills. Staff teach children about the importance of good hygiene practices and healthy eating and how these contribute to children's overall health and well-being.
• Partnerships with parents are excellent. Staff regularly share information with families about their child's progress and offer practical guidance on how learning can be supported at home. Parents are very complimentary about the caring nature of staff and how well they have worked with external agencies or other professionals to support children's development. This collaborative approach ensures continuity in children's learning and contributes to the positive progress they make during their time at the setting.
• The provider places a clear emphasis on staff well-being and demonstrates a strong commitment to creating a positive and supportive working environment. They monitor staff performance to ensure they are effective in their roles and understand their responsibilities. The provider identifies staff training needs to enable them to maintain high standards. They regularly evaluate their practice, contributing to continuous improvement across the setting.
• The provider ensures that risk assessments are in place to promote a safe environment for children. However, on occasions, staff do not provide children with the support and guidance they need to help them understand risks and how to play safely. Examples of this are when children engage in role play and have access to real-life items in the home corner and when some older children engage in more risky play when they are outdoors.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• ensure all staff provide the support and instruction children need during their play so they learn to understand potential risks and how to play safely.