My Little Angels Daycare

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Staff warmly welcome children into this inspiring, family orientated nursery. They know children extremely well and adapt their interactions and routines to ensure that they consistently meet the needs of each individual child. Children settle quickly. They are eager and confident to take part in the innovative, exciting activities that staff provide to encourage children's natural curiosity and enthuse them to learn. From the moment children enter the premises they are enthralled by the 'magical', awe-inspiring surroundings that captivate their interest and challenge their learning. Consequently, all children, including those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), make rapid progress from their individual starting points.

Staff provide children with opportunities to spend time outdoors every day. Outdoors is seen as a learning extension to indoors. The provider has created an outdoor space that successfully provides children with a wealth of experiences that further supports their learning and fosters their enjoyment. Staff expertly weave children's next steps for learning into activities. As a result, children have fun as they learn and develop. Children's behaviour is exemplary. Staff use mirrors to help children to understand their emotions. Children show empathy towards their friends. Older children show younger ones how to use equipment properly, such as the computer keyboard. Children are eager to carry out small tasks and are proud when they receive copious amounts of praise for their kindness. As a result, children thrive and develop high levels of self-esteem.

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

• The nursery benefits from a strong, knowledgeable, and cohesive management team. They are passionate about providing children with the very best start in life. They are forward thinking and continually look for ways to improve. They evaluate the premises and the activities they provide, and implement changes based on children's individual needs.
• The provider has an excellent overview of the curriculum and shares this with staff. Staff are pro-active in the implementation of activities to ensure that they are geared precisely to every child's individual learning style, interest, and next steps for learning.
• The leadership team recognise and work to staff's individual strengths, and they value the staff team. They monitor practice and provide extensive opportunities for ongoing professional development to enable staff to enhance their already excellent practice even further. Staff's well-being is given top priority.
• The nursery is very much part of the local community. Children learn to take pride in their surroundings. They go on litter picks, where they carefully pick up litter using long handled grippers. Staff organise food banks which children take to the local centre. They have also introduced a book swop for children who attend the nursery and also those in the local community. This helps all children and families to have access to books and stories.
• Leaders are highly attuned to the individual circumstances of the children and their families. They provide unconditional support and work closely with outside agencies to ensure families receive any additional help they may need.
• All children experience a language rich environment. They see written letters through displays and in books. Staff continually talk to the children to foster their communication. They ask questions and provide time for children to respond. They use simple signs to enable less verbal or younger children to communicate their needs. Children thoroughly enjoy singing sessions and join in with the words and actions.
• Children's imaginative skills are superb. They pretend to go on a bear hunt and creep quietly into the bear cave that the provider has created at the bottom of the garden. They turn on torches to look for the bears and then laugh as they run away. Children pretend to make potions and cook tea in the mud kitchen, using real utensils and water from the tap. Other children construct using sand in the builders yard. They work together to fill the wheelbarrow and negotiate how they will use the sand to build the biggest castle in the world.
• Staff are adept at extending children's learning in every situation. For example, during a dolls tea party, children lead the activity to include an ambulance because the doll has fallen off the chair. Staff successfully follow their lead and introduce new learning experiences. At lunchtime, staff talk to children about the pips they have found in their apples. They encourage children to think about what the pips will turn into if they grow them and count the pips they find to compare who has the most.
• The nursery provides a wholly inclusive environment in which children, families and staff are respected. Parents are encouraged to cook national dishes with the children and talk to them about their cultures. Children see photographs of different places of worship, such as a temple and a church, and try to replicate these in their constructions. Staff work closely with families and other professionals to support children with SEND. The nursery has received an award for the work that they do in this area.
• Staff share copious amounts of information with parents about their children and how they can continue children's learning at home. Parents cannot speak highly enough of the leaders and staff. They say that they receive lots of support and staff go over and above to care for their children. They comment that their children are coming on in leaps and bounds and that they know this is because of the work that staff do with them.