Monkey Puzzle Day Nursery Bromley

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Leaders offer an environment where children feel safe and secure. Staff are kind and warm towards children and comfort them when they are unsettled. They know about and respond well to children's personal care needs. Staff provide plenty of opportunities for children to be creative and use their imaginations in their play. In turn, children are proud of their creations and enjoy taking on different tasks.

Staff praise children and encourage them to keep trying when they encounter challenges. For example, when children go up and down the stairs to the slide, staff guide them and teach them how to do it safely. Staff prepare children well for the next steps in their education. For example, they encourage children to become more independent during mealtimes and teach them how to wash and dry their hands by themselves.

Staff teach children about how to stay healthy and fit. Children learn about the world around them and the natural world. For example, they learn that plants need water and sun to grow and that some fruits look different when they are not ripe. Leaders put in place children's committees, designed to give children the opportunity to share their opinions and ideas. For example, some children taste new foods before they go on the nursery's menu. This helps them to feel valued.

Staff help children to know what is expected of them. They have consistent and well-established routines that support children's understanding of what is happening, the rules in the nursery and the boundaries for their behaviour. As a result, children behave well and are kind to others.

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

• Leaders are clear about their curriculum and have high ambitions for children. Staff know children well. This allows them to offer learning opportunities that sequence children's learning and help them build on what they already know and can do. Children recall and remember their past learning, and staff offer effective support, which helps children to focus during activities. As a result, children are engaged in their learning and make good progress.
• Staff support children well during play moments and promote a rich-language environment by using a variety of ways to communicate. Staff comment and ask interesting questions, use sign language with children from a young age and introduce new words during their play. They foster positive relationships with and between children.
• Staff are good role models and support children's curiosity well. For example, they encourage children to talk about how pineapples grow and how they can use technology to find out more about it. As a result, children become competent learners and communicators. Children learn about mathematical concepts in context. For example, when cutting fruits, staff encourage children to explore the notion of 'half'.
• Some children have opportunities to value the language they experience at home and to see themselves and their cultures reflected in the curriculum, for example through music. However, although leaders are self-reflective and have plans to make sure the curriculum fully reflects children's individuality and celebrates their backgrounds, this is not yet completely embedded in the curriculum. This means that some children have fewer opportunities than others to celebrate what makes them unique.
• Children have plenty of opportunities to be physically active and use the outdoor equipment with confidence. They go up and down the slide, use the stairs and run around avoiding obstacles. Staff encourage and teach children to take risks safely. For example, children learn that knives are sharp and how to make sure that they are safe when using one.
• Staff are aware of children's individual needs and are confident to deal with emergencies. They support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities well through implementing a range of strategies and by involving outside agencies, such as the local authority or specialist professionals.
• Parent partnership is effective. Parents feel involved in nursery life, for example, through a range of events, such as summer parties, graduation ceremonies and dedicated training. They speak highly of the care and support their children receive. Staff keep parents informed about their children's progress through termly meetings and daily feedback.
• Leaders have effective arrangements to ensure and monitor staff's ongoing suitability. They encourage staff to gain recognised qualifications and offer opportunities that have a positive impact on staff's well-being. Staff speak highly of the support they receive from the leadership team and how they feel listened to and valued in the nursery.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• broaden opportunities for children to recognise, celebrate and share their backgrounds and cultures.