N Family Midlands Ltd

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are excited to enter the nursery, which is well-resourced and designed to inspire and ignite children's curiosity for learning. Staff are warm and welcoming. They greet each child and their family as they arrive. Young babies have lots of space to explore their surroundings and natural resources. They enjoy exploring a role-play area, banging utensils and pots together to make a noise. Equipment is available to promote the development of large-muscle groups as children pull themselves up and cruise around. Younger children enjoy a wide range of messy-play activities. They use sponges to paint a large tray. Children practise their small-muscle skills as they roll and squish play dough or move toy sea creatures round a tray of water and through plants.

All children enjoy fresh air outdoors. Older children enjoy balancing on scooters and tricycles. They use large tyres as an assault course to jump in and out of and balance on. Children particularly enjoy learning early mathematical skills. They go on a dinosaur hunt. When the dinosaurs are found, the children measure them using tape measures and work out which is biggest. Numbers written on the stairs indoors support children in number recognition, as they are encouraged to count going up or down.

Children demonstrate that they feel safe and secure. Staff are extremely attentive to their individual needs, and children receive lots of praise and encouragement. This helps to build their self-esteem. Children snuggle into staff, as cuddles are freely given. Young babies are rocked gently to sleep by staff.

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

• The highly qualified manager is extremely passionate about the learning and care provided to children. Since being in post, he has made significant changes to staffing, which means that agency staff are no longer required. This ensures consistency for the children attending. Staff report high levels of well-being and have access to training to support their professional development. Effective monitoring of staff practice ensures the quality of education is consistently good, and, at times, exceptional.
• The ambitious curriculum supports a holistic approach to children's development. It is sequenced to build on what children already know and can do. The curriculum encompasses all seven areas of learning, and children also learn about global responsibility and innovative ideas. This supports children to gain a perspective of the world that encourages awe and wonder. Consequently, children make good progress in their development and acquire the skills needed for their next stage of learning.
• Staff know the children extremely well. They plan activities in line with the children's interests. Staff are spontaneous in adapting activities to support children to access them. For example, in the morning, children show an interest in 'Sonic the Hedgehog'. Following this interest, in the afternoon, staff colour the play water blue, the same colour as 'Sonic'. Children excitedly talk about the water and how it is 'Sonic' water. Children demonstrate high levels of curiosity as they scoop, pour and measure the water.
• Support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) is good. The nursery employs a qualified SEND coordinator. They support staff to quickly identify any gaps in learning and implement a package of support to ensure no child is left behind. Children who speak English as an additional language are supported by the bilingual staff team. Staff also use the many different backgrounds of children to talk about similarities and differences. This supports children's understanding of communities beyond their own.
• Children develop a deep love and respect for literacy and books. Children are supported to manage their feelings by using books about emotions and feelings. They particularly enjoy the 'Colour Monster' book and can recall which colours depicts which emotions. On the whole, children behave well. However, when children display unwanted behaviour, staff do not always explain why their behaviour is not acceptable. This means children do not always understand why they cannot do things and, consequently, despite being told no, they continue.
• Partnership with parents is exemplary. Parents comment that staff are wonderful. They say communication about their child's development is excellent. A strong emphasis is placed on getting to know the family as a whole, not just the child. Regular parents' evenings take place, and support is given to parents to help with their children's learning at home.
• Children benefit from a seasonal menu of freshly cooked meals prepared by a full-time chef. They regularly wash their hands, and they know that fresh air and running about is good for you. Children also learn the importance of teeth cleaning as they vigorously do this on model teeth. They talk about why they need to keep their teeth healthy and clean.
• Children are supported to be independent. Older children self-serve their own lunch and clear their own plates away. Younger children are encouraged to take their plates to the side after they have eaten. Routines of the nursery help children to transition from activities, indoors and outdoors. However, at times, the organisation of routines in the baby room is not as good as it could be. On occasion, children were left for long periods of time waiting.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• strengthen the already good strategies in place for managing behaviour, and further support children to learn why their unwanted behaviour is not acceptable
• review the transitions and routines in the baby room so children are not waiting for prolonged periods of time.