Moorland Nursery School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Staff are very nurturing and caring in their approach. Consequently, children feel safe and happy at the setting. Children explain that they like to come to the setting to play with their friends. Staff know their key children well. Leaders have also developed an effective key-person buddy system. This helps to ensure children receive the care, support and consistency they require in the absence of their key person. Children enjoy sensory experiences, such as sand play. They develop their hand-eye coordination as they pour and empty the sand into a range of containers. Staff talk to the children about size, shape and space as they play, which helps to develop their early mathematical knowledge.

Staff provide a good balance of child-initiated and adult-led activities for the children. They identify what they would like children to learn. The experiences on offer excite children's interests. Consequently, children sustain high levels of engagement in their play. All children make good progress in their learning. They develop the muscles in their hands and fingers as they manipulate play dough. Children pull, stretch, poke and squeeze the play dough to make shapes. They also show their resilience while they attempt to stack, sort and build with a range of resources. They place each piece with careful attention. Staff have clear expectations for children's behaviour. They politely and respectfully remind children of the rules where required.

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

• Leaders have taken action to address the concerns raised at their last inspection. All staff have had their suitability checks completed and leaders keep records of these checks. Leaders have also reviewed their safer recruitment procedures. For instance, there are now procedures in place to ensure that staff whose suitability has not been confirmed are not left unsupervised with children.
• The curriculum covers all areas of learning. Leaders have sequenced their curriculum well to build on children's knowledge over time. They have clear aims for the children by the time they leave the setting. This includes developing children's independence and social skills.
• Planning is based on children's interests and their next steps. There are occasions where some children complete adult-led activities with ease. During these times, some staff do not think well enough about how they can extend these children's learning further.
• Staff talk to parents to find out children's starting points. They then continue to observe and assess children's development. This helps them to identify what children know and can do and where gaps are in their development. When concerns are raised, staff work well alongside parents and other professionals. This ensures that children receive the early help they require.
• Staff read stories clearly and with lots of enthusiasm. They ensure all children are able to see the story. Staff give children time to talk about the story and to predict what they think will happen next. Children excitedly shout out their answers and join in with familiar refrains or actions. Staff notice when younger children start to get slightly restless during story times. They offer them specific attention and support. This helps them to quickly re-engage.
• Staff support younger children to learn how to wash their hands. Older children wash their hands independently. The setting has lunch catered in from an external provider. They provide their own snacks for the children throughout the day. However, the snacks on offer are not balanced and do not fully promote children's health.
• Staff are positive role models to the children. They support children to learn how to share and take turns. Children show an understanding of the routines in place. They follow staff's instructions well.
• Generally, staff speak highly about the support they receive from leaders. They have regular meetings with leaders. During these meetings, leaders reflect on staff's practice, identify what support is needed and provide some training opportunities.
• Parents and grandparents speak highly of the setting. They are pleased with the flexible approach of settling-in sessions. Staff work well in partnership with parents. They provide them with regular updates about their child, which helps them to support their child at home.
• Staff celebrate a range of festivals and take the children out and about in the local community. They support children to learn about themselves and others. Consequently, children are respectful to each other.
• Leaders update their staffing arrangements regularly. They maintain the correct staffing ratio and qualification requirements. There is a clear leadership structure in place. This includes a named manager and deputy manager.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support staff to think more carefully about how they can extend children's learning even further when they complete tasks with ease
• review and improve the snacks on offer to children to ensure they are more balanced and to promote children's health.