Moorwell Miracles Children's Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children's happiness is apparent in this welcoming nursery. As children move through the nursery rooms, the transition arrangements are seamless and child centred. Staff are quick to respond when children need some reassurance or support for their well-being. They are consistently loving and sensitive in their interactions with children, for example, when changing nappies. Children form strong emotional bonds with their key person and other staff. They are extremely settled in their different rooms and demonstrate a strong sense of belonging.

Leaders are aspirational and have created a broad, well-sequenced curriculum. They identify the important knowledge and skills that will be taught, from the babies to the children moving on to school. The curriculum is well planned across the nursery to ensure children make good progress over time.

Children have excellent opportunities to develop their understanding of healthy practice. Staff teach children the importance of brushing their teeth and washing their hands. Children enjoy delicious meals and snacks that are balanced and nutritious, enhancing their good health. Children learn the nursery 'golden rules', for example 'I can be kind to others'. Staff praise children's positive behaviour, such as sharing popular resources and helping at tidy-up time.

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

• Staff know how to support children's communication skills. They are tuned into the different ways children communicate, such as the sounds babies make to express their needs. Older children gain the confidence to speak in a group. Children of all ages enjoy listening to stories and joining in with the actions to their favourite rhymes.
• The outdoor environments are superb. Babies have their own space to freely explore. Older children learn new skills, such as how to get to the top of the climbing frame or navigate bikes around a circuit. Staff supervise children well and offer just the right level of support, so children still feel a sense of achievement when they master a new skill.
• Staff use their sound knowledge of child development to identify barriers to children's learning. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) get the right levels of additional support that allow them to make progress and achieve their curriculum goals. Additional funding for some children is effectively targeted to meet their specific needs.
• The curriculum for personal development is clearly sequenced to develop children's independence and social skills. For example, children learn how to manage their care needs, such as dressing and eating. Staff plan specific group activities to teach children how to take turns and listen to others. Children grow in confidence and gain the skills that help them make friends.
• Staff support children who are getting ready to move on to school. They ensure children have the skills and knowledge that will successfully support their future learning. Children understand what is going to happen when they move on and are ready for the new, exciting challenges of school.
• Children obviously love learning and are very inquisitive, for example, as they discover the properties of different media, such as dough and paint. However, at times, staff do not give children time to fully explore their own ideas, to further develop their creative thinking skills.
• Partnerships with parents are strong across the nursery. Leaders work closely with them, from the start. For example, they provide useful advice on the use of dummies as comforters. Parents hold the nursery in high esteem. They describe it as 'a fantastic nursery with amazing staff'. Parents value how staff show a genuine interest in their children and support their education and care.
• Leaders demonstrate much commitment to developing the nursery provision further. They identify key priorities, based on their thorough evaluations of the nursery. Leaders support staff through regular meetings and professional development opportunities. However, this support has not yet raised the quality of teaching to the highest levels possible.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support staff to give children time to explore their own ideas as they play, to develop and enhance their creative thinking skills
• review and target staff development opportunities, to raise the quality of education to consistently outstanding levels.