Monkey Puzzle Day Nursery Southgate

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are happy and enjoy spending time in this warm and welcoming nursery. They settle quickly and build strong bonds with staff, who are attentive to their needs. Babies show they feel comfortable as they snuggle in towards staff to listen to stories and take their hand to guide them to what they need.

Children develop their independence skills well. Babies learn to wipe their faces and find their drinking cup by looking for their photo. Toddlers and pre-school children learn to get their place mat ready for snack time and clean their plates after lunch. Children benefit from an embedded routine and know what is coming next as they go to the low-level sinks to wash their hands ready for activities. Children make choices freely throughout the day. They choose what songs they would like to sing and select resources to add items to their water play; they look for jugs and containers as they extend their own ideas.

Children behave well. Staff have clear expectations about behaviour and consistently support children to work together, take turns and use their manners. For example, children are encouraged to wait for their turn at the play dough table where they need a particular cutter. Regular reference is made to the 'golden rules' and staff offer praise and encouragement when these are followed, which supports children's self-esteem. As a result, children follow instructions well and actively work together.

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

• Staff advocate 'in the moment' planning and plan with children's interests in mind. As a result, babies maintain attention and concentrate well. They enjoy scooping rice and spaghetti into pots and practise their fine motor skills for long periods. Children make steady progress from their starting points and develop positive attitudes towards learning.
• Children are immersed in songs throughout the day and have developed a good repertoire. The youngest children use homemade props to select the songs they would like to sing. They join in with words and actions excitedly as they hold up their rockets and stars. Older children learn new songs about traffic lights as they begin to understand more about road safety.
• Children are developing a love of literacy. Reading stories is embedded as part of the daily routine for children of all ages. As children grow older, they demonstrate how they can handle books with care as they self-select reading as an activity of choice and listen attentively when stories are read.
• The preparation of children's early writing is well planned. The children develop good fine motor skills as they complete intricate activities such as threading straws and using play dough tools. They confidently pick up pom-poms using tweezers in a maths activity. Children in the pre-school room are keen to make marks and write their names, and babies enjoy making vertical marks using brushes and cars.
• Children enjoy nutritious lunches and know how to be healthy. They prepare their own healthy foods, including chopping vegetables for spring rolls and making bread for their soup. They engage in a variety of movement activities, including yoga, to make sure they are exercising their bodies. Although children have access to a well-designed outdoor space, opportunities for physical development are limited. Staff do not maximise or plan for older children to have access to enough challenging physical play throughout the day.
• Staff are recognising children's needs and identify when they need further support. They work closely with parents and outside professionals to gather evidence for referrals. However, some children with English as an additional language are not getting enough support to learn new words and develop the key language they need to get the most out of the curriculum. Therefore, their progress is not as good as it could be.
• Leadership and management is a real strength at this setting. They are dedicated and reflective and have a clear and ambitious vision for the nursery. They improve the quality of the provision over time through effective coaching and mentoring of staff. Staff morale is high and their well-being is supported.
• Parents are happy with the education and care provided, and they highly recommend the nursery. They benefit from regular parents' meetings about children's progress, which means they know what the children are learning and how they can support them at home. They are kept up to date with what their child has been doing on a day-to-day basis via an online application and discuss a personalised approach to children's settling in and transitions.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• provide more effective support and careful intervention for children with English as an additional language so that they make even better progress with their communication and language
• ensure that children's gross motor skills are further challenged and extended.