Nanny Plums Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The nursery is a small, friendly and community focused environment. Staff have created a lively and nurturing provision which enables children to learn, grow and develop. They provide a variety of interesting resources and equipment to support children's development. Managers have clear aims for the curriculum. Staff incorporate these into their plans for activities to build on what children already know. For example, staff talk to children about apples that grow in the garden. They encourage children to think about how apples fall down from the tree when it is windy. Staff encourage children to count and weigh the apples. They introduce mathematical language, such as 'heavy' and 'light'.

Staff build positive relationships with children. This enables them to create individual learning plans and activities to help each child succeed. Children and babies are comfortable around staff. They go to familiar staff for comfort when they are tired or upset. Staff provide cuddles and reassurance which help children to settle. They help children to be independent. Babies show determination as they attempt to feed themselves. Older children radiate confidence when they achieve their goal of serving their own vegetables. All children develop confidence in their own abilities. They learn the skills that they need to move on to the next stage in their learning.

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

• Children relish the opportunity to set up an obstacle course with car tyres. Staff closely supervise, but do not interrupt to help children to explore their own ideas. Children jump and balance on the tyres. Staff watch as children persevere and succeed in their quest to create and complete the course. This promotes children's self-resilience skills.
• Staff organise the day to allow lots of opportunities for children to practise taking turns and sharing. They support some children who are still learning these skills. Staff guide children in a sensitive and consistent way. For example, staff remind children to ask their friends if they can join in with their play. As a result, children of all ages behave well and play harmoniously together.
• Managers know what they want staff to focus their teaching on to help children to make progress. For example, the current focus for toddlers and pre-school children is to develop their mathematical knowledge and skills. Staff who work with children do this well. They devise games where children throw bean bags on the correct number. Staff and children sing songs and rhymes about counting, and thoroughly enjoy joining in.
• Parents and carers state they are extremely happy with the service they receive. They are impressed by the progress their children make. Parents value the daily feedback they receive about their child's day and achievements. They enjoy using the electronic communication system. Parents use the information to keep up to date about their children's development. This helps to support children's learning at home.
• Staff offer children opportunities that help them to learn about people and families beyond their own. The environment is rich with images of children from other backgrounds. Children engage in experiences to understand how different people celebrate. Recently, they learned about the festival of Eid. This contributes to broadening children's horizons.
• Staff understand the importance of children developing good communication and language skills. They make use of opportunities to join in with children's play and conversations. Staff use these times to talk about what they are doing. For example, staff encourage children to find numbers in the dough. They demonstrate using tools and support children to recognise numbers. However, when staff ask children questions, they do not consistently encourage children to think for themselves and to express their thoughts and ideas. This does not extend children's thinking skills.
• Staff benefit from training and ongoing professional development opportunities to build on their skills. For example, staff have accessed training on understanding why children may bite. It has also enables them to use strategies to prevent incidents and support children.
• This enthusiastic staff team speak positively about managers and the support they receive. Managers conduct regular staff supervision meetings and observe their teaching. However, they have not identified with staff how they could better support babies physical development. For example, more could be done to utilise space indoors to allow babies further opportunity to develop their walking skills and better promote their physical development.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support staff to build on ways to ask children more purposeful questions and enhance children's thinking skills
• help staff in the baby room to provide an environment which promotes and extends babies' physical development.