Monkey Puzzle Day Nursery Charlton

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Staff build strong, close relationships with children and value each child highly. They find out about babies' sleeping patterns and ways they like to be comforted to ensure they settle. Staff interact with children well. For example, they get down to the children's level and speak in warm tones. They help to ensure that children feel a sense of belonging to the nursery by displaying children's family photos. Staff manage children's behaviour well. They share group rules with the children and use distraction techniques for younger children. Children behave well.

The curriculum is broad and balanced, and all children make good progress. Staff support children's physical development effectively. Children climb up ramps and babies enjoy crawling through tunnels. Children jump through hoops and balance carefully along planks. Staff help children to understand different feelings through informative discussions and stories. Children gain a good understanding of different emotions. Staff teach children good mathematical skills. They teach children about weight by placing objects on scales and help them to understand mathematical words such as 'heavy' and 'light'. Staff teach children about sequencing as children match coloured bears to patterns on cards. They sing number songs and rhymes with children to support their counting skills. This helps children to develop good mathematical skills.

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

• Staff support children's creative development through interesting and imaginative activities. For example, they have regular themes based on famous artists to teach children about different painting effects and styles. Children enjoy making three-dimensional models from play dough and babies explore a range of textures, such as shiny metals, fabrics and smooth wood. Children develop good creative skills.
• Children gain good communication, language and literacy skills. Staff read a wide range of stories to children and use story props to engage them well. Children listen attentively and learn new words. Staff teach babies the names of common objects and sing songs and rhymes to support their developing language skills.
• Children gain good independence. For instance, they help themselves to fruit at snack time. Children pour their own drinks and younger children learn to feed themselves at mealtimes. All children help to tidy up. Staff teach children how to share and take turns, such as by sharing outdoor toys. They teach children to say 'please' and 'thank you' to encourage good manners.
• Leaders support the staff team well. They spend time in group rooms to observe practice and give regular feedback on ways it can be enhanced. Leaders meet regularly with each staff member to discuss and support their work. They are eager to support the continual development of staff skills and knowledge by providing opportunities to attend training courses. For example, staff attended a course on behaviour management, which led to improved outcomes in this area.
• Leaders have a clear insight into the strengths and weaknesses of the nursery. They set relevant goals to build improvements. For instance, they plan to enhance the use of small-group time to promote the best outcomes for children.
• Staff regard children's safety as highly important. For example, the nursery has secure biometric fingerprint entry to the nursery and closed-circuit television is installed throughout the building. Leaders have a robust recruitment process that involves a series of background checks on staff to keep children safe.
• Children learn about the world around them in effective ways. Staff point out sycamore seeds to children and show them how they rotate as they fall through the air. Staff plant vegetables with children and teach them how things grow. Older children learn about magnets and robots to support their understanding of the world effectively.
• Staff provide the children with healthy meals and snacks and fresh drinking water. They teach them about oral hygiene well. For instance, children practise brushing teeth on a toy dinosaur. Staff read stories to children about how to keep teeth and gums healthy.
• Overall, staff work well with parents to support children's learning. Staff invite parents into the nursery to talk to the children about their jobs. Staff give parents regular feedback on children's progress in flexible and effective ways. However, at times, methods of communication around nursery activities are not fully enhanced to keep parents fully informed about their child's day.
• During the day, on occasion, children do not have a choice about where they play so they can learn to the best of their ability, particularly in group rooms where there is access to an outdoor area.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• enhance partnerships with parents further to promote the best outcomes for children
• where needed, support children to make choices about where they play and learn best to further extend their learning.