Munchkins Nursery And Pre School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children settle quickly on arrival and show that they feel safe and secure in the welcoming environment. They benefit from lovely, warm interactions with staff. Babies laugh delightedly as staff sing songs and talk animatedly to them. Older children are keen to talk about special events at home and share their ideas. Children eagerly explore and make choices about which of the wide range of interesting activities to access. They are given plenty of opportunities to develop their independence and confidence. Older children serve themselves breakfast then put on their shoes and collect their hats to go outside. They are eager to join in and take turns with resources. For example, children don chefs' hats and aprons to bake banana bread. They enthusiastically mash bananas and take turns to mix the wet and dry ingredients together in a big bowl. Staff support children to take turns and to wait for resources patiently.

Children's physical skills are well supported. They have access to large equipment and toys to challenge their balance and strength, as well as a variety of tools to practise using the small muscles in their hands. For example, children use a hammer to tap golf tees into watermelons then use the hammer's claw to remove them. They practise following the safety rules and glow with pride as staff praise their successes. Staff know children well and have high expectations for all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

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

• Staff provide a broad and balanced curriculum that follows children's interests and supports their development. They offer a variety of activities across all areas of learning. Staff present activities and resources in interesting ways to capture children's attention. For instance, children eagerly explore a potion-making activity in the garden. They carefully select flowers and practise pouring water from large containers into little bottles and pots. Children enjoy smelling and feeling the different materials, supported by staff who provide key words to extend their vocabulary.
• Staff interactions with children are warm and responsive. They listen carefully to children and ask relevant questions to spark and maintain conversations. Staff share jokes with children and children laugh delightedly. They make good use of songs and rhymes both spontaneously and as part of the daily routine across all rooms. This helps to create a happy atmosphere and supports children's speech and language from an early age.
• The two special educational needs coordinators work effectively with children with SEND. They swiftly identify the children who need support and liaise with parents to ensure that each child's needs are met. Excellent partnership working with external professionals ensures that children received highly tailored interventions and consistent support arrangements. This helps all children to make good progress from their starting points. Staff also make links with schools to promote children's smooth transition to their next stage in learning.
• Children's behaviour is good and they understand the setting's rules appropriately for their age. Staff are good role models who use positive phrasing to remind children what is expected of them. They encourage children to take turns and praise them for kind behaviour. This helps to build children's self-esteem and confidence.
• The directors and manager made arrangements to support staff well-being and recognise the pressures faced by staff during the COVID-19 pandemic, including providing a permanent counselling service. Staff speak positively about this support and their relationships with colleagues. The management team regularly monitors staff performance. However, there is scope to sharpen peer observations and feedback to help individuals improve their teaching skills and practice to a consistently high level.
• Children are motivated to learn and show good levels of concentration and perseverance. For example, older children focus as they use tweezers to pick up and place a number of pom-poms to match wooden numbers. Babies are encouraged to begin feeding themselves and are given time and opportunities to practise this. Staff provide 'taste-safe' materials for babies play with to strengthen the small muscles in their hands.
• Staff establish positive relationships with parents and share information about children's care needs and daily activities. Parents generally speak highly of the setting and how their children enjoy attending. They feel their children are happy and safe. However, some parents do not understand what their children are learning and how they can best support this at home.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• develop systems for peer observations and supervision further to ensure a sharp focus on improving individual staff practice and providing feedback to support staff in delivering the curriculum more effectively
• strengthen parent partnership arrangements to involve all parents more fully to understand their child's progress and learning, and ways they can support learning at home.