Mornington House Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Staff provide a happy, welcoming environment for children, building lovely relationships with them and their families from the start. Staff are gentle with babies and meet their individual needs and routines effectively. Leaders provide good support for their enthusiastic team members. There is high staff retention, which provides stability for children and long-term relationships for families. Children are emotionally secure and approach staff knowing they will receive a positive response, so that by pre-school they are confident to initiate conversations.

There is an ambitious curriculum for all children. Staff plan an exciting environment, promoting children's curiosity and exploration. There are plenty of opportunities for those who prefer outdoor learning. For example, older children make paper aeroplanes and notice the impact the wind has when they fly them. In addition, children develop their large-muscle skills and gain a good awareness of keeping themselves and others safe.

Leaders use local initiatives successfully, and staff sequence children's development effectively. For example, in conjunction with parents, they introduce the idea of potty training to babies. Toddlers use role play with dolls and stories to extend their awareness and understanding. In pre-school, children can manage their personal needs independently, preparing them well for school.

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

• There is a strong leadership team. They successfully evaluate their practice, identifying where they can improve to have the most effective impact on children's care and development. For example, they have introduced induction programmes for babies and new children. These ensure that staff get to know children and their families extremely well from the start, enabling them to meet babies' and children's individual needs, so they settle quickly.
• Leaders target staff training and experience to have a positive benefit to children. For example, staff working with babies know why calm environments are important for babies' brain development. Those responsible for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are proactive in working with parents and outside agencies. This ensures that children receive appropriate support and make the best progress they can.
• Staff plan 'in the moment' to motivate children's learning through their interests. For example, toddlers enjoy using sticks on pipes and hearing the sound they make. Staff then provide instruments to extend their ideas further. Older children develop good hand-eye coordination when staff help them to use a bat and ball. However, occasionally, staff do not always notice when older children require more challenge to move their learning on even more.
• Children are confident communicators. Staff recast mispronounced words, narrate children's play, use repetition and introduce vocabulary. They make good use of books, songs and visual aids, to engage and support children. Staff provide sensitive support for children learning English as an additional language. For example, older children sing their welcome song in children's languages, and young children happily ask for fruit in their first language. This also helps children to learn to value each other's differences.
• Leaders ensure an inclusive environment, where adults treat children with respect and value their opinions. Staff support children successfully in learning to understand their emotions and regulate their behaviour. For example, they use characters in books to ask children how they might feel and what happens when you are angry. They sensitively help children to see how their actions impact on their friends and consider what they could do to resolve that.
• Children become increasingly independent. Staff help babies and children to manage as much as they safely can for themselves. Step by step, they build on what children can do. For example, staff are good role models at lunchtime, promoting children's healthy eating, use of cutlery and social skills. Children learn to set the table, pour drinks and serve themselves.
• Partnerships with parents are a strength of the setting, ensuring consistent care and learning for children. From induction, staff find out important information. Parents are extremely positive about the setting, especially support from leaders. Parents confirm they receive good information and can borrow resources to support their children at home.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• focus staff development on embedding the curriculum intent consistently to know when to challenge older children more, to enable them to make even greater progress.