Ministeps Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Staff are passionate about their roles and caring. They greet each child as they come into the nursery. This ensures that children arrive in high spirits. Children show they feel secure by independently approaching staff for a cuddle. The curriculum is designed to challenge and support each child to make progress. For example, staff look at where individual children currently are in their development. They create targets under the seven areas of learning to further children's skills. This supports all children to make progress. Children enjoy learning. Staff support them to feel comfortable by explaining that it is fine to make mistakes, as they are all learning together. This helps children to feel confident in the nursery.

Children behave well. Staff support children's behaviour by reinforcing their expectations before activities. For example, staff explain to children that they need to use good listening skills when taking part in a mathematics activity. Children play together in small and large groups. They take turns and share with others. Staff praise and encourage children frequently, such as when they complete a task. They also encourage children to use their manners throughout the day. Staff are good role models. For example, they use 'please' and 'thank you' when speaking to others.

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

• Children have opportunities to develop their physical skills. For example, they join in with a dancing activity. Children listen to a variety of action songs and move their bodies in a range of ways. Staff join in dancing activities with children and demonstrate the actions. This supports children to learn to move in different ways.
• Children enjoy using scissors to cut out number templates. Staff support children by offering hand-over-hand guidance. They support all children to develop their fine motor and hand-eye coordination skills.
• Children have opportunities to join in singing a variety of different songs. They sing the 'good morning' song as they complete group circle time. This supports children to develop their communication skills. Staff repeat words to younger children, such as 'tap, tap'. In the pre-school room, they use language such as 'irregular' and 'properties' when talking about shapes. This supports children to develop their vocabulary. However, on occasion, staff repeat questions before children have responded. This does not give children enough time to process information and respond to questions that have been asked.
• Children have opportunities to develop their mathematical skills. Younger children spend time singing number songs. Older children join in with a mathematical session and explore different shapes. Children then identify shapes in the environment, such as circles, semi-circles, rectangles and squares. This supports all children to develop their mathematical awareness.
• Staff support children to serve themselves at mealtimes. However, staff do not consistently support children to develop their independence skills throughout their practice. For example, staff wipe children's noses for them. They also put children's water bottles away for them. This does not consistently support children to develop their self-care skills.
• Children learn about safety. For example, staff talk to children about the scissors being very sharp, when completing a cutting activity. This supports children to learn about safety and risk.
• Managers support staff and reflect on practice by completing room observations. This helps to identify areas of strength as well as areas of development in the nursery. Staff say that they feel supported in their roles. They express how the managers are approachable and support them with their professional development.
• The nursery is inclusive to all children. Staff support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). They use information provided from outside agencies to create development plans for individual children. The nursery is in receipt of additional funding. This is used to support children in the nursery to make progress.
• Parents express positive views about the nursery. They say that they feel comfortable with the friendly staff. They explain how staff ensure that children make progress by offering additional challenges for them when they achieve a task.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support children to further develop their communication skills by giving them more time to process and respond to questions
• help children to develop their independence skills by offering more opportunities for them to complete tasks for themselves.