Miss Delaney's Nursery School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are confident and motivated to learn in this warm and happy nursery. Staff value each child and have high expectations of them. Children enjoy activities and concentrate well. Staff take time to find out about children's interests, which are reflected in the curriculum. For example, recent interest in superheroes has enhanced children's learning as they build dens to talk about superpowers. All children develop valuable skills in preparation for school.

The curriculum is varied and interesting. Children gain a good understanding of the world. For example, they plant and grow seeds. They learn about and respect differences. Staff play songs from around the world and invite parents to read stories to the children in their home language. This supports children who speak English as an additional language to settle and feel part of the nursery. Children act with care and caution. For instance, they wipe paint from toys for others to play with and learn about road safety as they walk from the hall to the main building.

Children gain good independence skills. All children learn how to put on their coats and high-visibility vests and understand the importance of holding onto their section of the walking rope. They help to tidy away at the end of play sessions. They learn to share and take turns well. Children behave well.

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

• The leader is passionate about outcomes for all children. She has clear intentions for children's development and the learning staff provide. She is committed to staff's continuous professional development and provides training opportunities based on their individual needs and the needs of the children. This maintains the good quality of teaching for children.
• The provision for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities is a strength of the nursery. The special educational needs coordinator has good knowledge of how to support children's individual needs. She works closely with staff and other professionals to swiftly close any gaps in children's development. Staff support parents in a sensitive manner and involve them in creating individual support plans for their children. Parents receive regular updates about their children's ongoing development.
• Staff support children's communication and language development. They engage children in meaningful conversations and build their vocabulary by narrating their play. Staff introduce new words during activities. For example, staff explain about 'plaque' during an oral health activity. However, although children become good communicators, staff do not support them with effective questions to problem-solve during their learning and to share and test their ideas.
• Children develop good mathematical skills. Following recent training, staff make the most of everyday opportunities to teach children how to count, compare different heights of towers they make and recognise numbers that are relevant to them. For instance, children count the number of play dough candles they need for their cake.
• Staff support children well to develop healthy lifestyles; children enjoy regular physical play, fresh air and exercise. They develop their physical skills as they learn to balance, work the see-saw together and thread cereal to make bracelets. Staff deliver consistent messages to help children understand how they can make healthy choices. However, the organisation of routines to prepare for garden time and times between activities is long. Therefore, at times, children are waiting too long, as staff do not fully tailor routines to meet the children needs.
• Partnership with parents is strong. Parents speak highly of the nursery and comment that the staff team are nurturing and compassionate and their children thrive in a safe environment. Good communication ensures that parents know what their children can do, what they will be learning next and how to support their learning at home.
• The leader and staff team engage parents in their ideas as they consider improvements for the nursery. For example, following staff attending forest school training, children engage in activities at a local woodland. Other areas for improvement identified include supporting children's physical skills even further by adding equipment to encourage climbing and managing their own risks. This promotes the best outcomes for children.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support staff to use questions to encourage children to problem-solve and test their own ideas, particularly during focus activities
• refine the organisation of routines to minimise waiting time for children.