Mottingham Hall for Children

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provider is committed to the service offered at the nursery. Children are happy and excited to come into this welcoming nursery. Staff are well qualified and highly knowledgeable. They have a passion for their ambitious curriculum and are superb role models. For instance, they support toddlers to understand their emotions through a persona doll. They talk to the doll about their feelings and different situations. Children flourish and thrive due to the inspiring daily opportunities and enabling environments. The environments are organised and stimulating, promoting children's natural curiosity and interest in play and exploration.

Children are well behaved and enthusiastic to learn. Staff skilfully challenge children and ask them questions to encourage them to think and talk about what they are doing. Children show high levels of compassion towards their peers and communicate well. For example, during a cooking activity, older children spoke about the importance of healthy eating and a balanced diet, where food comes from and alternatives for others who may not be able to eat the same food. Children are fascinated by the world around them. For example, older children, when deepening their knowledge on the habitats of bats and other nocturnal creatures, inquisitively find out how to support them in their own environment, learning about echo location. The range and breadth of the well-implemented activities provided ensure that children make the best possible progress.

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

• All staff, including new members, demonstrate deep understanding on how to build of children's development through stimulating activities. For example, toddlers' attention is captured using stories, props and music during circle time. High-quality interactions between children and staff ensure that children's listening and attention skills are well established. Children make excellent progress in their communication and language skills.
• The key-person approach is embedded. For instance, some staff recently relocated around the nursery. However, they still have a good understanding of the individual needs and development of children. Babies receive great care and seek familiar adults to make them feel safe and secure. Strong attachments support children's emotional well-being and nurture their learning, as they feel safe to explore. Children settle well because of this. Staff use home visits to connect with families and children to support the building of strong attachments.
• All staff understand the curriculum intent and how to implement this in practice. For example, staff ensure there is opportunity for child-led activities, and this has been implemented in all rooms. A role-play area in each room is adapted to the individual children in the room. Families are asked to donate an item that reflects them, their home, or culture. This allows children to feel at home and able to talk about their similarities, differences and what makes them unique. The use of materials, such as glass jars, allows children to learn to care for belongings. Staff talk confidently about how this has been extended to support individual children's self-confidence.
• The leadership team is well established and supportive of families and staff. The team has meetings every morning to discuss individual rooms and plans for the day. The vision of the manager and deputy, to provide unique opportunities and high levels of care and education for children, is evident. They strive in their commitment to the team to provide training sessions, supervisions and build good relationships. Reflection on how to support staff practice, the team and families is continuous. For example, the allotment has been moved to the front of the nursery so that more produce can be grown. This teaches children about healthy lifestyle choices, as well as how to harvest and cook fresh produce. Children's families are welcome to join in with harvesting the produce, or they can pick produce from a basket to take home, which further supports children at home.
• Parents speak highly of the nursery and value the support they receive. For instance, through a parent teacher association, parents can discuss any improvements to the nursery, as well are their worries or concerns. Staff invited parents of school leavers to speak to those of current school leavers about their experience, any concerns, and how staff can further support them.
• Children speak highly about their experiences at the nursery. They are enthusiastic learners and confidently speak about what they are doing or have done. For example, in forest school, children understand boundaries, such as 'no lick, no pick', for any objects in the environment. For instance, they do not pick berries or mushrooms and do not lick or eat anything they find in their environment. They engage in their play and speak about experiences. For instance, when painting, they describe the fire they previously made in the forest and what they can use to make their fires.
• Staff provide a wealth of opportunities for children to be active in the local community. These include visits to an on-site farm to care for the animals at the weekend or taking a trip to the local home for older people for a sing-along. This allows children to meet new people to talk about similarities and differences in the world.
• The needs of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), and those with delays or potential delays in their development, are well met. The special educational needs coordinator (SENCo) meets with families, multi-agencies and staff to ensure that targets are met and that children make good progress. Families speak highly about the additional support they have received and how open the setting is to supporting the needs of individual children.