Monkey Puzzle Day Nursery And Preschool Grange Road

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children demonstrate that they feel happy and settled. They develop close, affectionate bonds with all staff. Babies raise their arms to be picked up and staff respond by snuggling them in closely. This supports their emotional well-being.

Children learn about the importance of looking after the environment. For example, they learn about recycling. Young children demonstrate their understanding of this as they enthusiastically collect paper and put it in the recycling bins. Older children learn to be independent as they self-serve their lunch and successfully scrape their plates into a food caddy when they are finished. This helps children to be ready for the next stage in their education, which for most is school.

Children engage in a wide range of stimulating and enjoyable experiences. Outside, they learn about nature as they search for insects and look at them with a magnifying glass. Children proudly show adults that they have found a 'wood louse'. Toddlers show their confidence in exploring an ice activity. They demonstrate their growing knowledge and understanding as they tell staff that the ice melts because it is in their hands. Children use a colour chart to independently match and select paint. They become deeply engrossed as they paint the ice cubes in the tray.

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

• The manager supports her staff team well, for example through regular observations of their practice and meaningful supervision meetings. Staff attend training to enhance their knowledge. They share this learning with the staff team, which supports a consistent approach to new methods of practice. For example, staff attend training on how to spark children's curiosity. Children benefit from these fresh approaches to learning and new activities.
• Overall, the quality of teaching is good. Staff gather detailed information from parents when children start at the nursery. They use regular observations and children's interests to plan learning opportunities that are challenging and engaging. However, not all staff's interactions with children are at a consistently high level, to help children make the best possible progress.
• Children are inquisitive as they learn. For instance, they look with interest at the tadpoles. Staff make the most of these opportunities to introduce new vocabulary to children. Children later use this new vocabulary in their play, using words such as 'hatch' and 'tadpole'. Staff support younger children's growing communication skills. They provide a running commentary as children play, which helps to give meaning to what children are doing. As a result, children are confident communicators.
• Staff know individual children well and adapt their expectations to match each child's level of development. For instance, they ask children what they need help with. Staff support the most-able children to respond using full sentences, while the less-able children respond with a few words. This helps children to learn to communicate their needs effectively.
• Children behave well. Managers and staff identify possible triggers for children's behaviour and have implemented appropriate strategies to support them in a positive way. Furthermore, staff attend training to help support children to develop respectful relationships with both adults and children. As a result, children are kind and caring to each other and learn to manage and regulate their own behaviours.
• Staff keep parents informed about their children's progress. Parents receive information about upcoming topics. They share information and photographs with staff about activities that children complete at home. This enables staff to talk to children about what they have done outside of the nursery. As a result, children are able to make connections between their different experiences.
• Staff ensure that additional funding is used well to target the specific needs of individual children. For example, children attend the nursery for extra sessions. This has a positive impact on children's progress. Staff swiftly identify children who need additional support. They plan focused activities to target any gaps in children's learning and monitor their progress. This means that all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, make good progress from their starting points.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• develop staff's interactions with children to a consistently high level so that all children can make the best possible progress.