Mouse House Nursery School SW11: The Kindergartens

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children arrive at this inspirational learning environment highly motivated and with a positive attitude to their learning. They are immensely curious and remain deeply absorbed in their play throughout the day. Children are incredibly happy, self-assured and confident. The sounds of laughter and conversations are constant in the nursery. Staff are highly skilled and support children to form exceptionally strong emotional bonds. They have high expectations for children's behaviour. Staff encourage children to treat each other and the environment with kindness and respect. Children's behaviour is outstanding.

Staff know their key children incredibly well and take care of their individual needs and interests. For example, staff provide children with a wide range of resources to build their own types of transport after observing children's keen interest in this. Children show immense joy and determination as they create road tracks on the floor using tape. They talk about the role of police officers, such as if cars speed. Children demonstrate an understanding about road safety and the role of people who help them.

Children are highly confident communicators, who approach adults to initiate conversations. They pose questions, offer ideas and make suggestions. Children draw on what they know and understand about the things that interest them. For example, they suggest ideas of homes they could create for the characters in the story they look at with staff. Staff show genuine respect and excitement for all children's ideas. This leads to children drawing their designs of homes on paper and building it with blocks. The atmosphere throughout the whole nursery is one of wonder, awe and excitement, from children and staff.

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

• Staff have an expert knowledge of how to promote children's learning. They provide children with an extensive range of exciting and imaginative activities. Children create countless opportunities for children to build on their previous learning. For example, after a recent trip to the fire station, staff encouraged children to create their own fire truck out of large boxes. Following on from this, children made cards for the firefighters they met during their visit and dropped these off to say thank you to them for helping others. Staff are highly effective at monitoring children's development. This ensures that they identify any gaps in children's learning promptly so that outcomes for children are outstanding.
• Children are exceptionally well prepared for the next stage of learning. They are highly independent and confident, and relish completing age-appropriate tasks. Children delight in their role of handing out plates and cups for snack time. They understand the importance of keeping themselves safe during their walk to their outdoor space, following rules and boundaries effortlessly.
• Parents speak extremely highly of staff and appreciate the detailed information they receive about their child's day. They comment on how they value the individual care and attention their children get from staff. Parents discuss the support they receive, such as parent seminars and information on how to support their children's learning and development at home. They mention that their children make excellent progress, which they attribute to the excellent teaching provided by staff.
• The leadership team is inspirational. It goes above and beyond at providing all children with a high-quality education and nurturing environment. Leaders have an uncompromising commitment to delivering outstanding practice, which they communicate well to their staff team. All staff share their vision and excel in all aspects of their work. Staff comment on how supported and empowered they feel. There is a true sense of community throughout the nursery. Everyone is respected and everyone is valued. This contributes to the warm and caring atmosphere that is felt throughout.
• Staff use purposeful and thought-provoking questions to help children challenge and extend their own learning and develop their language skills. They consistently ask questions such as, 'I wonder what would happen if…' or 'What do you think we could do?' This encourages children to think and reflect on new ways to do things. Children are incredibly confident to make their own decisions and discuss these with others. They proudly show the inspector the 'teacup' they have made from card and paper. During tidy-up time, without prompting, children come back to the table and write their name on their work.
• Children are delightfully happy and engaged during their time outside. Their imaginations and physical skills shine during this time. For example, children carefully mix mud and water to create 'mud soup'. They use large rollers to paint paper that has been put on trees. Staff are highly skilled at following children's lead and adding suggestions on how to develop this even further. Children remain engrossed in their learning and play consistently.
• Leaders ensure that staff can access any training they require to improve their confidence and competence. Staff's supervision sessions include highly focused discussions that support staff to meet children's needs and identify areas for professional development.