Muddy Boots ' Sunshine Room'

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Young children positively flourish in the exceptionally nurturing setting. They have excellent opportunities to learn about nature and are taught to develop a great respect and appreciation for the natural world. Children have an extremely strong sense of belonging at this nursery and in their local community.

Children are highly curious and extremely motivated. They instinctively use resources to explore and experiment, engaging deeply in their chosen play. For example, young children enjoy using magnifying glasses in the garden to find insects and look closely at the tree bark. They independently access art and craft resources to confidently make their own creations. They display impressive levels of concentration and perseverance as they master and consolidate their problem-solving skills. For instance, children work extremely well together to create a successful water chute to transfer various objects from one tray to another.

Children are extremely confident and settle quickly into their play environment. They know the staff very well and develop exceptionally close and effective relationships with them. This helps them to feel extremely secure, welcome and well cared for. For example, young children comfortably settle into staff's laps for cuddles, reading books together and talking about their day.

Children spend plenty of time outside and are very physically active. Staff are highly vigilant and teach children the importance of managing risks. For example, toddlers confidently negotiate slopes and humps in the garden while other young children safely climb trees and balance on beams. Young children have a can-do attitude, understanding their own physical capabilities.

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

• Staff are extremely skilled at playing alongside children and know when to intervene to extend children's learning. They use various effective teaching methods to support the children in their learning. They are always at the children's level and readily available to interact with them. For example, staff help children to reach the plums and pears from the trees in the garden and teach them to identify when they are ripe. Children learn that they are greengage plums and delight in tasting their own grown fruit for snack.
• Children benefit from an exceptionally stimulating and varied curriculum. Staff are highly creative in planning exciting activities and experiences that successfully cover all the different areas of learning. Staff know children extremely well and have a deep knowledge of their interests, personal traits and have high expectations of what they need to learn next. It is evident that children are making extremely strong progress.
• Staff foster children's language and communication skills extremely well. For instance, they are brilliant at asking lots of open questions to facilitate children's thinking skills. The environment is highly language rich. For example, staff talk to children about what sounds they can hear in the environment and encourage the children to describe the characteristics of the different birds that they can hear. Staff use signs as well as words, and use home languages to make sure that all children feel highly valued and included. As a result, most children are confident and fluent speakers.
• Children's behaviour is exceptional and staff are excellent role models. Young children are consistently well mannered and kind to each other. They know to share and take turns in their play and exploration. Children develop strong social skills from an early age. For instance, they love to sit together for snack and mealtimes and wait for their friends to finish before they continue in their play.
• Staff know the children and families intimately. Partnerships with parents and other professionals are superb. Staff ensure that they use and tailor any additional support precisely to help children achieve well. All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities or who speak English as an additional language, make fantastic progress.
• Parents are extremely happy with the care and education their children receive. They say that staff are 'wonderful, approachable' and 'caring'. Parents appreciate the advice and support offered to them and value the curriculum focus on nature and the outdoors.
• The management team and staff reflect deeply on children's outstanding experiences at the setting. Staff are extremely well supported through regular meeting and supervisions. Training is expertly tailored to meet the needs of children and interests of staff, to ensure children receive the best possible teaching and learning. Staff are experienced, dedicated and work incredibly well together. The owner is hard working and passionate about providing the best quality of service for children and families in her care.