N Family Club Tunbridge Wells - St John's

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children separate from their parents with ease as they happily enter this friendly and welcoming nursery. Children display a strong sense of belonging and show that they feel safe and secure. Children's well-being is high. For example, they have formed relationships with staff where they feel confident to cuddle up to read stories and explore books. The youngest children show they have formed bonds with key staff as they seek them out for reassurance as they settle into the routines of the day. Children eagerly ask staff questions to further their understanding and invite them into their play. The skilled staff show genuine warmth and kindness to children, with a passion for providing them with a rich set of experiences.

The curriculum is well planned, ambitious and successively builds as children move through the nursery. There is a current focus on children's personal, social and emotional development, and their communication and language. Staff carefully consider children's next steps in learning and use this information to plan a range of activities and experiences. Staff are keen for children to develop their independence skills. They model to children how to wash hands, wipe noses and see to their own care needs, such as putting sun cream on before they go out to play. All children are making good levels of progress from their starting points.

Children behave well, and there are clear expectations for behaviour. Staff act as positive role models to children and are consistent with their approach. For example, staff working with the youngest children use simple language and direct children to something else of interest when there are minor disagreements. The older children are learning to identify feelings and emotions and how their behaviour may make others feel.

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

• Staff state that leaders give their well-being a high priority and ensure that their workload is manageable. Leaders have effective systems in place for staff training, coaching and ongoing support. They are committed to ensuring continual professional development. There are in-house training packages for staff to engage with. This helps to improve their skills and teaching over time.
• Staff provide a wealth of planned activities that are linked to important themes, such as recycling and looking after the planet. Additionally, younger children engage with sensory materials, learning to mix and blend the ingredients to create play dough. However, at times, children do not fully benefit from consistent teaching that enables them to think creatively and experiment. For example, activities are too ordered rather than enabling children to follow their own ideas.
• Parents express their appreciation for staff and the work they do for their children. They highlight the flexibility of communication to meet their needs. Parents know their child's next steps in learning and staff encourage parents to continue activities at home. Additionally, parents mention how staff promote their involvement within the nursery itself, such as cultural celebrations like Mother's Day and Father's Day events.
• Staff promote a healthy and active lifestyle, and children enjoy nutritious, home-cooked meals. Children enjoy the outdoor area, and staff prepare them for all weathers, including applying their sun cream and sun hats. However, staff organisation of these transitions mean that some children wait for extended periods of time. Therefore, children are not consistently engaged in meaningful learning and are sometimes unable to get fully immersed during times of free play.
• Staff support children's early literacy and communication and language skills effectively. They are attentive to children's interests and learning needs. They read stories to them, introduce single words and sing to children as they play. Staff support children who speak English as an additional language well. They use key words in their home languages to aid understanding and empower children's sense of identity.
• Staff support children in developing a curiosity about the world around them and broadening their knowledge through the experiences the curriculum offers them. For example, children visit the local community to learn about pollution and recycling. Furthermore, staff are passionate about children learning about their friends and their home customs. For instance, children bring photos from home to share with their peers. Resources and books across the nursery are diverse and represent the children. This provides opportunities for children to ask questions and be curious about people who are different from them.
• Staff support children's physical development as they navigate the age-appropriate assault courses with strength and agility. The youngest children demonstrate resilience and perseverance and keep on trying. Furthermore, regular trips out of the nursery to local parks, provide older children with more challenge to develop and explore their gross motor skills.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• extend staff skills to promote children's independent thinking and creativity
• develop the staff organisation of routine tasks to reduce children's waiting times and keep them focused on their learning.