Muddy Boots Nursery School Kinson

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children arrive with big smiles and separate from their parents with ease. They build strong bonds with staff and show that they feel safe and secure. Children behave well and are polite and respectful of others. For example, toddlers take turns to push cars down a ramp. Staff manage minor disagreements between children well and teach them to follow the golden rules, such as using walking feet inside.

The curriculum is broad and ambitious for all children. Staff organise activities and experiences to meet children's individual needs and nurture their curiosity. For example, children use tongs to pick up coloured pom-poms through a maze of tape to develop their fine motor skills and perseverance. Staff engage in high-quality interactions with children to introduce new words. For example, staff use the words 'same' and 'different' as they organise coloured craft materials, and children later use the words themselves.

Children enjoy regular trips into the local community to learn about the world around them and foster a sense of belonging. For example, pre-school children explore nearby woodland and learn about the shape and colour of the leaves, sticks and petals they collect. Children benefit from plenty of fresh air and exercise to help keep them fit and healthy. All children make good progress from their starting points and are well prepared for the next stage in their education, including starting school.

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

• Leaders and the manager plan a challenging curriculum that continuously builds on what children already know and can do. Staff use assessment effectively to identify when a child might be at risk of falling behind and take swift and effective action to close any gaps in children's development.
• Staff encourage children to be independent and follow the rules and expectations of the nursery from an early age. For example, toddlers take turns to prepare snacks for their friends. All children put their rubbish in the bin and their plates in the sink after eating. This helps children to develop a sense of responsibility and builds their confidence and self-esteem.
• Staff extend children's communication and language skills well. For example, staff narrate children's play to give their actions meaning, add new words to extend children's vocabulary, and repeat children's speech when it is unclear to help them to learn to pronounce words correctly.
• Children develop their gross motor skills through daily outdoor play. They have space to run, balance, and climb. Staff organise a variety of activities to develop children's fine motor skills and hand-to-eye coordination. For example, children learn to hold a paintbrush with a secure grip and manipulate play dough with their hands to help them to build the muscles they need for early writing.
• Children develop a love of books, which extends their language and literacy skills. Toddlers choose books, which staff read to them with enthusiasm. Pre-school children spontaneously retell the story 'We're Going on a Bear Hunt' as they walk through the mud in the woodland.
• Staff organise new experiences for children to develop their self-confidence and understanding of the world. For example, they teach children how to use public transport. Children learn how to cross roads safely and develop an awareness of hazards, such as prickly bushes and open water.
• Staff organise activities to teach children the vocabulary of feelings, such as happy, sad, and excited. However, they do not extend this during other activities and free play to help children to learn to identify how they are feeling and how their actions make other people feel.
• The knowledgeable special educational needs coordinator, who is also the manager, works closely with parents and external professionals to meet the needs of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. She is proactive and dedicated to her role and has high expectations for all children.
• The manager uses additional funding well to meet the care and learning needs of the intended children. For example, they use funding to deliver a programme with a sharp focus on developing children's self-esteem.
• Parents report that they are very happy with the care and learning that their children receive. They feel well informed about their children's progress and say that their children enjoy their time at the nursery.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support staff to further develop children's understanding of their own feelings and emotions to help them learn to manage their own actions and behaviour.