Mulberry Bush Day Nursery at St Edmunds

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are happy and confident at this warm and welcoming nursery. They have secure attachments with staff, who are kind, caring and nurturing. This helps to make them feel safe and secure. Children show positive attitudes to their learning. Babies enjoy playing in the sandpit. They develop good coordination skills as they fill and empty containers. When re-enacting the story about going on a bear hunt, older children become immersed in their play. They are highly motivated learners. Children behave well and are kind and considerate towards each other. When washing their hands, children ask their friends if they would like the soap. Children know the routine of the nursery and follow staff instructions. For example, they wait patiently when lining up at the door before going outside to play.

Staff skilfully engage children in a range of activities, which helps them to make good progress from their starting points. Older children climb and balance on the climbing frame and ride bicycles around the garden, enabling them to develop their physical and coordination skills. Toddlers expertly transfer soil into pots and pans in the outdoor mud kitchen. This supports their small-muscle development and hand- to-eye coordination.

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

• Support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities is a strength of the nursery. Staff provide individually targeted support for these children. They adapt activities to ensure they are inclusive. Staff work with other professionals to ensure that appropriate support plans are in place. This means that children access learning that is relevant.
• Staff know the children well. They plan activities based on children's interests, that engage and support them to build on what they can do. Children join in enthusiastically with activities and talk to staff about what they are doing. However, not all staff consistently extend activities to challenge children further to make the best possible progress they can.
• Staff teach mathematics well. They engage children in problem solving, comparing and counting objects as they play. For example, children enjoy counting their friends during circle time and learn about 'bigger' and smaller' numbers. Children enjoy working together, discussing and sharing ideas about how to make tall towers using go-kart wheels. They eagerly add more wheels to make it taller than themselves. Staff support children to build on their own problem-solving skills.
• Staff support children who speak English as an additional language well. Staff use a variety of ways to communicate with children. For instance, they use electronic devices and visual aids. Staff work closely with parents to learn the correct pronunciation of words in their children's home language.
• Staff engage children in conversations to help promote their language and communication skills. Some staff ask questions to encourage children to talk. However, this is not consistently sustained by all members of staff.
• The management team carries out regular supervisions with all staff. Staff comment they feel supported in their professional development and well-being. They meet regularly as a team to share good practice and new ideas. Staff state they feel valued and enjoy working at the setting.
• Partnerships with parents are strong. Staff gather key information, which helps them to plan effectively for children's individual care needs. Parents speak highly of the nursery and the progress their children make. They state that they value the caring staff and the enjoyment their children have at the nursery. Parents comment that they feel their children are safe and well cared for.
• Staff promote children's resilience. They teach children to take appropriate risks, supporting their physical and emotional health. As a result, children navigate outside climbing apparatus and balancing beams with confidence. Children show they are proud of their achievements.
• Staff are good role models and teach children kindness, respect and good manners, such as saying 'please' and 'thank you'. They praise children consistently when they share their toys, take turns and listen well. This helps children to develop their understanding of the behaviour expectations well.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• extend children's learning even further by providing suitably challenging activities for all children to meet their individual learning needs
• support staff to develop their understanding of engaging children consistently in meaningful interactions that extend their vocabulary.