Moss Side Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Staff get to know children very well. They form strong bonds and talk to children about their activities outside of nursery. As a result, children happily come into nursery and demonstrate secure attachments. Staff talk to children about their special interests. They reflect these in displays around the setting. Children love to talk about these and are motivated to use them in their learning. For example, children point to their artwork and picture cards as they sequence a favourite story.

Staff value each child and work collaboratively to plan activities. They enthusiastically suggest ideas for play and listen to children's suggestions. Staff and children show their mutual enjoyment as they play and learn together. Staff celebrate ideas, effort and achievements. This encourages children to have conversations about their play. Children beam with pride as they tell staff what they have done.

Staff help all children to follow routines. They talk and sing with children while they wait for their meal to arrive. Children demonstrate fantastic table manners and smile as staff praise them for their independence skills. They show high levels of respect for each other as they listen to their friends and pass the water jug to each other.

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

• Children are physically active. They regularly explore the garden. Children develop muscle strength as they crawl and walk along different surfaces. They develop coordination as they navigate trees and obstacle courses.
• Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are well supported. The provider liaises with outside agencies to ensure they receive the support they need. Leaders ensure the environment is accessible. They spend funding wisely to help children achieve the best possible outcomes. All children make good progress from their individual starting points.
• Parents appreciate how well staff know their children. They comment on the progress that children make while attending the setting. However, staff do not always ensure that parents are provided with information about children's learning in each age group, to help parents support and extend their children's learning at home. This does not help them to further build on what their children know and can do.
• The teaching of mathematics is a strength. Children learn to compare size and weight. They regularly count in their play. Older children confidently make estimates as they help measure out a washing line. Furthermore, staff know the next steps for each child very well. They plan ambitious activities that stretch children's understanding of number. As a result, children have a solid foundation in number before they move to school.
• The provider organises continuing professional development for staff. However, although there is a good focus on mandatory training, staff are less well supported to develop their knowledge of how children learn. At times, some staff are unsure of how activities can help children learn in different areas of the early years curriculum. This means they do not always support children's learning.
• Staff support children to experience a diverse population and practise life skills. For example, children travel out of their rural community in the nursery minibus. They visit a garden centre to choose and pay for their own seeds. This develops children's knowledge and understanding of the world around them.
• Staff support children to behave well. On occasions when younger children present undesirable behaviour, staff offer close supervision. They read books that help children to learn that some behaviours can hurt others. Children begin to copy the language staff use to remind themselves to be kind to their peers. Furthermore, children show that they are mindful of each other as they manoeuvre wheeled vehicles around the garden.
• Children's independence skills progress as they move through nursery. Babies learn to feed themselves and drink from open cups. Toddlers learn to manage their own clothing. Older children use safety knives and slicers to prepare healthy snacks for their peers. This helps children to have positive self-esteem.
• The learning environment is carefully thought out to provide many opportunities for learning. Staff display each child's work with pictures of them using the environment. Children often return to the displays to talk about their learning. For example, they recall some alliterative phrases. This helps learning to remain fresh and stick in children's minds.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• develop ways of communicating with parents to help them clearly understand what children are learning in each age group
• make provision for staff to access ways of broadening their knowledge and understanding of teaching across the curriculum.