Molesey Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children eagerly arrive at the nursery and demonstrate that they feel safe, happy and emotionally secure. They form close bonds with all staff, including their key person, and make friends with others. Children are enthusiastic learners and become quickly absorbed in their play. All children make good progress in their learning.

Staff have high expectations of children and encourage them to develop their independence and sense of responsibility. For instance, children recognise their own names on trays so they can put their finished artwork and belongings away. Children behave well and learn the importance of being respectful to others, to share and take their turn. They receive praise for their efforts and achievements. This develops their self-esteem and motivates them to continue to persevere at their chosen task. Children proudly share their monster creations made out of recycled materials and their pictures. They explain that the marks represent a 'rainbow'. Older children say and form letters in their names.

Children thoroughly enjoy physical activities that are planned for them. For instance, children thread cereals onto pipe cleaners to make caterpillars. They talk about the number of cereals they have used and how to glue on eyes. This promotes their hand-to-eye coordination incredibly well. Children enjoy the outside area. They have fun and laugh as they use different sized containers to empty and fill in the water tray. Children have regular yoga sessions to music and stories to promote their physical skills, such as balance and coordination.

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

• Children show kindness and respect for each other. Staff have worked hard following the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic lockdowns. For example, they have re-built children's social skills through well-planned group circle times and extra group games.
• Parents speak extremely highly of the staff and manager. They talk about how the staff help their children to feel safe and to settle confidently. They comment on the good parent partnerships and how staff offer advice on how to support their children with sleep routines and toilet training at home.
• Children demonstrate that they are ready for the next stage of their education. Every opportunity is provided to support children's developing independence and their understanding of the importance of good behaviour. Children confidently choose activities and use knives to cut their own fruit. The manager makes links with local schools to ensure continuity in the children's care and learning when the time comes to move on.
• Children learn about some cultures and festivals, such as Chinese New Year, through stories and food tasting. Staff do not fully embrace or celebrate the cultural backgrounds and heritages of children that attend. This does not further support children to learn about and explore differences in their immediate community and wider world.
• Staff confidently build on children's prior knowledge. They plan activities that are matched to children's abilities. For example, they planned a painting activity using teabags, so younger children could explore the texture of paint and learn the names of colours as a fun learning experience. While older children were encouraged to focus on recognising the letters in their name and to draw them with mark-making tools in the sand trays.
• Staff talk politely and kindly to the children. On occasions, staff do not always fully engage with the children as they play. They watch the children but do not talk to them about what they are doing or introduce new vocabulary for them to hear.
• Staff enhance children's literacy skills effectively. They have exciting opportunities to practise their writing skills as they freely access pens, paper, clipboards, chalk and paint. They borrow their favourite book each day from the setting to take home and share with their parents. Children tell staff what their favourite stories are and ask staff to read to them in the reading corner. Children snuggle in and listen with delight to the 'Room on a Broom' story. They enjoy re-telling parts of the story themselves.
• Staff speak highly of the support they receive from management and clearly enjoy their work. They are committed professionals who are passionate about supporting children to have the best possible start.
• Children fully engage themselves in imaginary play. They make pretend stories about emergency rescues using small world vehicles.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• increase how staff embrace and celebrate children's cultural backgrounds and heritages that are relevant to children attending
• review staff practice to make sure that their interactions with children are of consistent high quality to further promote communication and language skills.