Nanny Bears Childcare

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children arrive happily and immediately settle into their play. They make good friendships and demonstrate kindness to their friends, carefully showing them where toys should be put away. Toddlers seek out their friends, excitedly waving and giving them a 'thumbs up'. Children learn to identify their emotions to help them to feel safe and secure in the setting. They talk about stories that help them to recognise when they are feeling 'calm' or 'angry'. Staff recognise the importance of the children feeling valued and discuss how this helps them to thrive. For instance, they notice when children are interested in helping to clean the setting and quickly set up an activity where they can help wash the toy cars.

Leaders ensure staff provide children with a well considered curriculum, which is rich and ambitious for all. They provide learning experiences that match the children's needs and individual interests. For example, staff help promote children's love of books to support their early reading skills. Children listen with delight as staff read their favourite stories, and children sit together with their friends to read books. Children demonstrate a love of singing nursery rhymes. They happily take part in group singing times and later recreate this in their independent play. Children confidently recall the words to their favourite songs, such as 'Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star'.

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

• Staff have a clear vision for what they want children to learn. They communicate this vision well to staff to ensure a shared understanding of how the curriculum should be delivered. They place a strong emphasis on supporting children's emotional development and promoting healthy lifestyles. For example, children take part in regular yoga sessions with staff and then practise this in their independent play. Leaders reflect regularly on the impact of the curriculum and adjust their provision where necessary.
• Children benefit from quality interactions with staff. Staff communicate concepts well to children and check their understanding. They introduce new words to children as they play, such as talking about the different parts of a 'black turtle bean' as they pretend to cook in the toy kitchen. Children hold thoughtful one- to-one conversations with staff. For instance, toddlers initiate conversations about the weather and talk about how to keep themselves dry in the outdoor area.
• Staff provide good support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. They are knowledgeable about the needs of individual children and work closely with parents to discuss their progress. Staff closely monitor when children might be falling behind and quickly put in place individual support plans. Staff ensure that they use consistent, effective strategies and words that the children understand. They use any additional funding carefully to provide resources and training that support the individual child's needs. For example, they have developed their role-play provision so staff can further support children who find social interactions difficult.
• Children demonstrate positive attitudes to learning. They readily take part in the 'invitations to learn' with staff and respond quickly to adults' instructions. However, on occasion, transitions from one activity to another can take too long. At these times, older children are left waiting with little to do and can lose focus.
• Overall, children develop their independence well. They frequently wash their hands at the 'handwashing station' and learn to clean their faces with a cloth while looking in a mirror. However, staff do not always provide consistent messages. Although staff enable toddlers to serve themselves food, staff often do this for pre-school children, which restricts their autonomy.
• Leaders provide a supportive environment for staff. They ensure staff take part in regular supervision and provide training to build on good practice. Staff appreciate the support given to them, particularly in relation to their well-being. New members of staff receive a thorough induction process to ensure they have a secure understanding of policies and procedures.
• Partnerships with parents are effective. Staff use a variety of strategies to communicate with parents, including daily discussions and regular parents' evenings. Parents feel well informed of their children's progress and offer particular praise for the family-like feel of the setting.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• develop transitions between activities, particularly for older children, to ensure children remain engaged in their learning
• help older children to develop their independence skills further.