Nanny Bears Childcare Ltd

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children happily enter this warm and nurturing nursery, where their key person welcomes them as they arrive. They come in confidently and separate from parents well. Staff are kind and attentive, offering reassurance and support for children when they need it. Children feel safe and secure and quickly settle into their play. Staff know the children well and deliver a well-planned curriculum that focuses on the children's interests and next steps in learning and development. Children are stimulated and motivated to learn. Additional funding for children from a range of complex backgrounds is used effectively to meet their individual needs. Also, children with special educational needs and/or disabilities receive swift targeted support. As a result, all children make good progress from their starting points.

Staff praise positive behaviour and make behaviour expectations clear. For example, babies are reminded to use 'kind hands' and to be 'kind to their friends'. Staff encourage children to explore and express their feelings and think about the feelings of others. Children begin to understand the impact that their actions have on others. They learn to be kind and play cooperatively. Consequently, children are respectful, behave well and show high levels of self-esteem. They share toys and resources with adults and other children and invite them to play.

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

• The passionate leaders and dedicated staff share an ambitious vision of care and education for the nursery. They seek advice and support from outside experts, such as the local authority early years team. They work as a team to reflect on the strengths of the provision and plan for improvements. These evaluations include the views of parents and children. For example, they observe the interests of the youngest children and make suitable changes to the environment.
• Staff support children's communication and language development well. Staff repeat words and sentences back to children to model accurate pronunciation of words. They narrate children's play and engage them in conversations throughout activities, modelling good social skills. However, although staff ask questions and allow children time to answer, they do not always ask children questions that promote their problem-solving and thinking skills.
• Children develop a love of books, stories and rhymes. They collect books and seek out adults to read to them. Babies snuggle with staff and delight at turning the pages and finding out what happens in the story. Older children copy adults singing rhymes and recall familiar stories. For instance, children sing 'There's a Worm at the Bottom of the Garden' as they make worms using play dough and recall 'The Very Hungry Caterpillar' story using props.
• Partnership working with parents is very strong. Staff share information in daily diaries and through discussions with parents that outline children's experiences and progress. Parents feel well informed about their children. They comment on the high standard of attention and care the manager and staff provide.
• Leaders use supervisions and regular observations of staff practice to offer training and support. They work alongside staff to observe and assess children and model best practice. Staff say leaders ensure their workloads are achievable and prioritise their well-being. Leaders provide clear targets for staff that have a positive impact on the children's learning and development. Staff comment that they feel valued and enjoy working at the nursery.
• Children are well prepared for life in modern Britain. They learn about the different languages and cultures of the children who attend the setting and celebrate key festivals from around the world. Staff encourage children to understand people have different opinions that need to be respected. For example, they use mealtimes to highlight the fact children and staff like and dislike different foods.
• Staff promote children's understanding of healthy lifestyles. Babies learn how to wash their hands before meals and older children explain to staff why we need to brush our teeth. They enjoy fresh air and exercise every day outside at the nursery, that promotes their physical development. Staff, including a trained cook, provide freshly prepared nutritious meals that children enjoy. Children learn to do some things for themselves, however, the organisation of mealtimes means staff do not fully challenge and extend children's independence skills.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• improve the organisation of mealtimes to develop children's independence and ability to attend to their own needs further
• promote children's thinking skills and provide opportunities to solve problems for themselves.