Monkey Puzzle Day Nursery Astwick

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children enjoy their time in this enticing nursery that is based on a farm. They are welcomed by friendly and caring staff who support them to settle in quickly. Children develop strong relationships with staff, who they seek out for support and comfort. This helps them to feel safe and secure. Children develop focus and concentration skills as they fully engage into activities, both indoors and outdoors. For example, younger children enjoy group singing times as they rhythmically tap their knees and copy actions. Children relish in forest school activities as they explore the surrounding farmland. They confidently climb trees and use tools to create their own 'stick' people. Children's behaviour is good. They develop a sense of responsibility. Together they recall rules to stay safe during risky play.

Children develop a love of books and stories. Staff skilfully capture their interest with with props and puppets. Older children explore books independently, and often ask staff to read books of their choice. They recall the main events and characters of their favourite books. Children develop a love and fascination for the natural world. They eagerly tell others about spiders they find around the garden and visit farm animals nearby. This helps broaden children's experiences.

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

• Staff demonstrate a secure understanding of the early years curriculum and know their individual children well. They use children's interests to guide their planning and regularly assess progress to ensure that the curriculum staff offer builds on what children need to know next. Children have access to a broad range of activities that allow them to consistently practise and learn new skills. For example, they develop their physical skills as they use scissors to cut shapes in felt, while others use tweezers to find small objects in the sand.
• Children develop their independence. Staff teach babies and young children to use spoons to independently feed themselves. Older children expertly manage self-service systems at lunchtimes. Children learn hygiene routines as they wash their hands regularly. They learn the importance of oral health through visits from dentists. Young children enjoy using toothbrushes to clean pictures of teeth.
• Staff talk to children as they play and introduce new vocabulary daily. For example, during forest school activities, children learn the names of tools they use, such as 'hand saw' and 'bow saw'. Staff use single words with younger children as they play with bubbles. They say 'pop' as they encourage children to reach out for them. However, during everyday conversations with young children, staff do not consistently take every opportunity to expand children's language and vocabulary.
• Staff support children and their families who speak English as an additional language effectively. During group time, staff teach children English, French and Italian words. They reinforce this teaching through songs and fun activities.
• Mathematical language is woven into everyday routines and activities. Older children use scales to weigh vegetables as they role play together. Younger children count as they add candles to their play dough cakes. Staff use directional words as children play with small-world vehicles. However, occasionally in free-flow play, it is difficult for children to hear each other. This is because the environment is too noisy to enable some children to listen carefully and concentrate on what they are doing.
• Members of the management team support staff well. They use effective supervision meetings to check staff's well-being and that their workload is manageable. Staff take part in regular in-house training opportunities. New staff appreciate the in-depth induction process to ensure they feel confident in their role. Additional funding is used effectively to support children's individual development needs.
• Children's settling-in process and as they move to other rooms in the nursery are managed well. Leaders work with schools to ensure a smooth transition for children when they start school. They complete information forms and invite teachers to the nursery to meet the children.
• Parents talk positively about the nursery and staff. They appreciate the regular information shared about their children's learning and daily experiences at the nursery. Parents enjoy stay and play visits which help them to gain a good understanding of their child's day at nursery.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• strengthen staff's knowledge of how to consistently support younger children's communication and language skills
• manage the environment more effectively to help older children to remain focused and to concentrate on their learning.