Monkey Puzzle Day Nursery Hither Green

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Practitioners warmly welcome children and parents as they enter their room, creating a caring and friendly atmosphere. The children are excited and ready to begin their day. New children receive special attention from their key person, who take the time to understand their individual needs and interests. This nurturing approach creates strong bonds between the children and their key person, helping them to settle and feel safe and secure.

Leaders set clear goals for what they want children to learn. They use a broad curriculum that emphasises communication skills and emotional growth. The curriculum is designed to connect smoothly across different age groups, helping children build on their existing knowledge and skills as they transition to the next level. Designated leaders collaborate with parents and other professionals to offer personalised support for children with developing needs. All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), make good progress.

The supportive practitioners have a good understanding of what skills children need to learn. They consider children's starting points and gather information about children's interests and previous experiences when they join the nursery. This information is used to implement the curriculum in a way that supports all children to achieve their next steps. Children are curious and eager to learn. They participate in various activities and share their interests with one another. Generally, children display good behaviour. They play cooperatively together and often use polite words like 'please' and 'thank you' with both adults and their peers.

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

• Leaders are passionate and dedicated to achieving positive results for every child. They have a clear vision for children's growth and the educational experiences they offer. Their commitment to the ongoing professional development of their team is strong. They create training opportunities tailored to the unique needs of both the practitioners and the children, ensuring that the quality of education is good.
• The support provided for children with SEND is a strength. Leaders possess a strong understanding of how to cater to each child's unique requirements and collaborate effectively with practitioners and other professionals to quickly address any developmental gaps. Parents receive thoughtful support. They are actively involved in the creation of individual support plans and they are kept informed about their children's continuous progress. Parents speak highly of the support they receive to help their children through challenges, such as transitions and behaviour.
• Children benefit from outdoor space that meets the needs of each age group. Children move freely and investigate the natural environment. Babies have a safe space to crawl and explore safely while older children climb and balance on logs and hunt for bugs. Children enjoy a range of healthy meals and snacks and have access to fresh drinking water throughout the day. Good hygiene practices are taught to all ages, including washing hands before and after meals and after using the toilet.
• Children generally behave well and form good friendships. Practitioners support children to manage minor conflicts by using gentle reminders of their 'golden promises' and praising positive actions. However, when supporting these situations, practitioners do not always acknowledge the feelings of all children involved. This means some children do not learn the impact of their actions on others.
• Practitioners effectively enhance children's language and communication abilities. They use single words, simple sentences and name objects for babies and they speak clearly and provide commentary on the play and actions of younger children, repeating their words with accurate pronunciation. Practitioners engage older children in conversations about their interests or the activity they are engaged in. Consequently, younger children develop strong speech and vocabulary skills, while pre-schoolers express themselves with confidence.
• Practitioners provide substantial support to children who are learning to speak English as an additional language through various methods. This includes gathering essential words and phrases in the children's home languages, and using visual aids, such as routine boards and objects. This supports children's developing communication. Parents record themselves saying greetings in their home language so children can hear different languages at a welcome display as they enter the nursery. This good practice helps children develop a sense of belonging and helps them to learn English words.
• Children have the opportunity to engage with books in every room. They take pleasure in reading and singing together in groups, as well as exploring books independently. This practice fosters a passion for books and reading. Young children find joy in mark making, using chalk boards, dry wipe boards and paper, while pre-schoolers identify letters and practise writing their names.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• develop practitioner confidence in helping children to acknowledge their own and other people's feelings, to help them understand the impact their actions have on others.