Moat House Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Staff successfully create a calm and homely atmosphere in the nursery to help children to feel safe and settled. This peaceful and tranquil space helps children to relax. Children settle quickly, ready to learn. Staff work tirelessly to promote children's emotional security. For instance, they arrange home visits to begin to get to know children and families in their familiar home environment. These visits successfully help to build reassuring relationships from the very beginning. Babies, toddlers and young children form very close attachments with the staff who care for them. Staff are extremely kind and compassionate, and this is a notable strength of this setting. They are highly attentive and intuitive to children's needs. For instance, when young children become tired, they are immediately offered nurturing and close affection. Children quickly relax, showing they are reassured and happy. Furthermore, staff offer flexibility in routines to respond to children's changing needs. This adaptability helps to ensure children are content and behave well because their needs are swiftly met.

Babies and young children's emerging language skills are well supported through high-quality teaching. Staff skilfully use facial gestures and eye contact to help young babies engage and communicate. Older children hear plenty of ongoing narration to develop their emerging language skills. Staff play alongside children. They show children how to play. For instance, children are encouraged to use tools such as rolling pins and shape cutters when playing with dough. Children watch intently as staff demonstrate and then quickly copy. Working with tools helps children to practise their hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills. Staff make suggestions to extend learning. For instance, children are encouraged to recognise shapes when choosing dough cutters, extending their mathematical knowledge. Children's care and learning is well supported in this friendly and stimulating nursery.

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

• Leaders and staff of the setting are committed and aspirational. They strive to offer the families and children they support a high-quality service. This is a truly inclusive setting where everyone's unique needs are understood and met.
• Staff nurture and support both children and parents alike. There is a 'whole family approach' to care. Staff are dedicated to build positive relationships with parents. They offer plenty of advice and support for new and expectant parents. For instance, parents attend sessions on weaning and safety in the home to develop their parenting skills. Parents comment that this encouragement and guidance is highly valued. Working closely with parents benefits children through a joined-up approach to care.
• Leaders and staff implement a well-sequenced curriculum so babies and children continually build their knowledge and skills. Teaching and learning are based on a secure foundation of what children already know and can do. Staff provide time for children to practise what they already know and offer suggestions to develop further. The quality curriculum and good teaching together help to support children's progress.
• Staff foster strong links with a wide range of professionals, including midwives, health visitors and nursing teams. Children and parents' welfare is extremely well promoted through this collaborative approach. Furthermore, the nursery staff benefit from close links with the host school teachers, extending partnerships with wider professionals. The expertise from specialists helps to meet children's needs and enable them to flourish.
• Children's health is given utmost priority. For instance, children enjoy healthy and home-made hot meals each day. Staff teach children about good oral hygiene and the importance of brushing teeth. Parents are provided with a breast-feeding friendly space in the nursery and many mothers continue to breastfeed while their babies and young children attend the setting. Furthermore, staff work with professionals from the health sector to offer exemplary support for children's health and well-being.
• Staff have plenty of experience. They are confident and capable practitioners, and the quality of their practice is good. However, staff training and ongoing professional development are not always focused on strengthening staff's skills in aspects of their practice that would most benefit children and families.
• Staff complete frequent observations of children and use this information to build an accurate picture of their skills. However, sometimes, particularly when completing the progress check at age two, staff focus too much on what children can do rather than highlighting areas where children will benefit from additional support.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• enhance support for staff to ensure that professional development is focused on strengthening staff skills in areas they would benefit children most
• review assessment procedures to ensure these systems identify both strengths and precise gaps in learning in order to support children's progress.