Mother Nature Childcare Ltd

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children confidently explore the well-planned and stimulating learning environment. They show high levels of engagement and learning in their self-chosen play. Pre-school children concentrate as they practise their writing skills and use their mathematical knowledge. They add details to their drawings, such as ears and hair, and then add two more fingers when they notice that they have only drawn three. Younger children use their imagination. As they push baby dolls in prams, they explain they are taking them to the hospital.

Children thoroughly enjoy the company of the friendly and nurturing staff. Staff are well tuned to children's needs and recognise times when children need additional reassurance or are becoming tired. Staff have high expectations of children and children behave very well. They understand the daily routines and what is expected of them. Pre-school children know when it is time to tidy up and help out.

Children make full use of the opportunities to be physically active outdoors. Two-year-old children develop their balance and they negotiate a steep bank and long grass. They enjoy looking for bees and insects as they explore. Pre-school children relish the additional challenge, such as swinging from a suspended tyre.

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

• The manager has a clear vision for the future of the nursery and reflects well on practice. She has plans to extend the partnership working with parents even further, and has recently worked with staff to change the room organisation, so that these better meet children's current needs.
• The manager provides staff with a thorough induction so they understand their roles. All staff and students receive effective supervision to help them to reflect on their practice and identify where they can further develop. Staff receive some training and the manager prioritises their safeguarding knowledge. However, staff do not receive a wide range of professional development opportunities to fully support them in extending their teaching practice.
• The manager has designed a progressive curriculum that helps children to build on their knowledge and skills. For example, two-year old children benefit from opportunities to build their strength, and older children to control their movements.
• The manager has worked with staff to plan the learning environment that provides children with many opportunities to practise what they have learned. Children have positive attitudes to learning and are self-motivated.
• Children's key persons have a comprehensive knowledge of their key children. They have a strong knowledge of child development and how young children learn. The manager and staff take time to observe children to review what they have learned. Although staff who work with children regularly in the key person's absence have a general understanding of a child's achievements, they do not have a comprehensive understanding of their learning priorities. This means that children do not receive continuity in their learning throughout the week to help them to make the best possible progress.
• Staff support children's mathematical knowledge well. Two-year-old children respond to staff as they model mathematical language and skills, such as counting. Pre-school children learn about quantity of numbers and what they represent. They learn about the number five and how many objects total five.
• The special educational needs coordinator (SENCo) is knowledgeable about the children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). She makes timely referrals so that children receive additional support from health professionals and implements personalised intervention plans. The manager makes good use of additional funding so that it benefits the children it is intended for.
• The manager and staff support children's emotional development well. They place a strong focus on helping two-year-old children to acknowledge that they have a range of feelings. Staff help pre-school children to understand how they are feeling and provide them with strategies to manage these.
• Staff support parents well. Parents speak positively about the care their children receive and are very pleased with their progress. Staff keep them well-informed about their child's achievements. Parents say that their children gain confidence and progress well with their communication and language.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• extend opportunities for staff training, so all staff receive a wide range of professional development opportunities to enhance their knowledge and skills
• review and enhance the key-person system to allow for children's learning priorities to be shared with other staff in a child's key person's absence.