Monkey Puzzle Day Nursery Ware

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children settle extremely well. Staff ask parents to provide information about what their children enjoy doing prior to starting at the nursery. They then plan the environment to kindle children's interest in play and learning. With big smiles, children happily greet staff and each other. They form strong bonds with staff. For example, babies crawl to staff to cuddle and look at books. They make eye contact with staff, listen to them sing songs and respond with excitement, babbling and occasionally saying single words. Older children show excitement as they pull on their boots and coats before heading outside to play.

Children share and take turns to ensure that they can all have fun with their favourite activity. For instance, they persevere and organise turn-taking while they fill buckets with sand and use a pulley to transport these. Children use their increasing mathematical knowledge as they discuss when buckets are full or empty. They explore different textures while playing with sand, shaving foam and other creative items. Children develop their imaginations, riding their trikes to the pretend shop or searching the playground for the Christmas elf. Staff know the children well and support their pretend play. For example, when children show an interest in dinosaurs, staff play alongside them and use different tones in their voice to help bring the roaring dinosaurs to life.

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

• The manager supports staff practice through, for example, supervision and staff meetings. Staff attend training courses to refresh their knowledge of safeguarding and paediatric first aid. This helps them to keep children safe. Other professional development helps staff to extend their teaching skills. Most recently, staff have completed training relating to young children's communication and language development. This is helping children to become more effective communicators. Children develop the skills they need in readiness for school.
• Staff assess the progress each child makes, and they take time to plan activities based on children's developing interests. However, there are times when learning is not linked effectively between different activities. For example, staff talk with children about road safety and stranger danger but do not currently provide other learning opportunities that enable children to apply their new knowledge and skills in different contexts.
• Staff actively promote positive behaviour. They support younger children to understand what words to use when they want to take turns playing with a toy. Those working with babies are consistent in their gentle approach and use of redirection to gain attention and interaction. This helps to give all children the confidence to communicate their needs.
• Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are supported well by the manager and staff. Referrals to other professionals are made in a timely manner to support children's individual needs. Staff are confident to work with parents and other professionals. They understand how to set targets that help children to make progress, for example, to encourage them to develop their social skills.
• The nursery is organised well, and staff are deployed effectively to make sure that each room is clean. Daily risk assessments are completed to ensure that any potential hazards are minimised. Children play and learn in a safe and secure environment. Hygiene is an integral part of daily routines for children and staff. Children learn to manage their personal needs and how to care for their teeth.
• Healthy eating is central to meeting the needs of babies and children. A qualified chef prepares snacks and meals that provide balanced nutrition while meeting varied dietary requirements. Children try a wide variety of foods from around the world. They learn about the cultural differences of their friends, and the foods they all eat, as they share special meals during celebrations throughout the year.
• Parents speak highly of the nursery and are happy with the care staff provide. Staff regularly share observations and photographs through an online app. Children's home lives are valued, and their key person asks parents to share the activities that children enjoy at home. Parents describe managers as professional in their approach and the staff team as very caring and compassionate. They report that their children are very happy in the nursery.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• provide children with deeper learning opportunities that enable them to use, and make links with, what they have learned and understood in different contexts across all areas of learning.