Monkey Puzzle Day Nursery Altrincham

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Staff provide children with a lovely experience at the nursery. They get to know children very well and form strong bonds with them. New babies receive personalised settling-in sessions which help staff learn about their needs and interests. Staff recognise that new children need more support and offer them a wealth of cuddles and reassurance. Promoting children's happiness and emotional well-being is a real strength at the nursery. Staff manage children's behaviour well and sensitively support them to understand what is acceptable. Children remind each other of key rules, such as 'not banging the chicks cage'. They have a good understanding of what is expected of them at nursery.

The curriculum for communication and language development is seamlessly threaded throughout the different learning experiences. Staff recognise the importance of promoting children's language and spend a lot of time narrating and singing to them. From the baby room upwards, children hear a broad range of interesting vocabulary. When engaging in discussions about the nursery chicks, children use the word 'incubator' to describe where the eggs hatched. For children who need more support to communicate, staff use some basic sign language. This provides all children with lots of opportunities to practise their communication skills in their preferred way.

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

• Leaders are very knowledgeable and have a good understanding of the different ways that children learn. They plan a broad and well sequenced curriculum that supports children to make good progress. Leaders consider what children will need to know before they start school. They adapt their curriculum appropriately to support the different age groups in working towards these skills. Children build on their existing knowledge and are well prepared for the next stage in their learning.
• Support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) is well embedded. Robust procedures for assessing children means that gaps in learning are identified swiftly. Leaders are pro-active in their approach to early intervention and implement additional screening tools to help them. Timely referrals to outside agencies are made and staff implement targeted support for children while they wait for outside input. This helps children with SEND to make good progress from their individual starting points.
• Overall, children have a lovely attitude to learning. Toddler children have some attention skills beyond what is expected for their age. They concentrate intently as they learn to use tweezers to pick up minibeasts and engage in learning for long periods. However, at times, staff in the pre-school room do not recognise when quieter children need more support to join in with what is on offer to them. Consequently, some children spend too long not engaged in play and learning.
• Mathematical development is carefully threaded throughout the curriculum. Younger children learn to count on rote from one to five. Older children can recognise numerals beyond 10. Staff support children to recognise and create their own patterns during creative activities. This builds children's confidence with mathematics and develops some of the skills needed for their eventual move to school.
• Generally, the organisation of the nursery routines is good. Children get to know the daily routine well and staff use visual timetables to help them know what is happening. However, transition times in the pre-school room are not always well executed. For instance, staff prepare children for outdoor play next to children who are having a quiet story. The noise level is high which is distracting and hinders children's learning experience.
• Children demonstrate lovely levels of independence. Children serve their own meals and carry their plates. They use knives and forks accurately to cut up food and feed themselves. Children pour their drinks from small jugs and require very minimal support. They tend to their own care routines, such as washing their hands and using the bathroom. Children are confident and eager to complete tasks for themselves.
• Parents are happy with the quality of care provided. Leaders involve parents in children's learning from the beginning and throughout their time at the nursery. They use an online application with a translate function to ensure all parents can access information. Parents value the communication and eagerly take part in home learning activities. This provides continuity in children's care and learning.
• Staff feel valued and well supported by leaders. They receive ongoing coaching and access training appropriate to their roles. Leaders recognise that staff learn in different ways and plan bespoke professional development based on their individual needs. This helps staff to provide strong and consistent care and education to children.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support staff to recognise when quieter, or less confident children need more encouragement to engage in play and learning
• review the organisation of transition times in the pre-school room.