Nanpantan Nursery School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The nursery has acted swiftly, with the support of other professionals, to make improvements in the setting. Staff have completed training that helps them focus effectively on building children's good communication and language skills. For example, they have introduced word 'flowers' that prompt them to use rich vocabulary with children during their play. Leaders have worked with staff to plan a curriculum that helps children develop the basic skills they need for future learning. All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, make at least the expected progress from their starting points.

Children enter happily and excited to explore fun activities. Caring staff distract and reassure younger children, who are still settling in, as they arrive at the 'family' setting. They create books for children, and themselves, containing photographs of the people that matter to them. Children smile and chatter as they look at these with their friends. This is one of the ways that staff get to know children and their families well. They prioritise support for children's emotional well-being. For example, they cuddle and speak soothingly to children when they need reassurance. Staff support older children to solve problems. For instance, they work together to make an obstacle course using planks, tyres and hoops.

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

• Leaders provide support for staff, through supervision, coaching and a targeted programme of training. Staff say that they are increasingly confident in their interactions with children. However, leaders have not yet fully established regular and precise monitoring to help all staff achieve consistently high levels of teaching.
• Staff are positive role models, who are always kind and respectful. Children demonstrate good manners, saying please and thank you and are helpful to those around them. For example, they tidy-up toys and put them back in the right places without being asked. Children of all ages behave very well and meet the high expectations of staff. Staff encourage children to form friendships by bringing them together in small groups to share and take turns.
• Staff prioritise the development of children's communication and language skills. They follow a pattern of commentary on children's play followed by a question, giving children plenty of time to think and answer. Staff identify gaps in children's learning and provide additional one-to-one support, for example, in pronouncing words and sounds correctly.
• Parent partnerships are strong. Parents say staff provide 'loving care' in a family setting. They feel well informed about children's experiences and achievements. Staff exchange information at the start and end of sessions and update parents about children's routines and activities online.
• Staff follow children's interests and provide resources that stimulate them to explore and investigate, using all their senses. Children concentrate for a long time, relative to their ages, as they mix 'soup' made from vegetables. They show a positive attitude to learning. However, on occasion, adult-led groups are less effective. Staff do not consistently plan to involve children fully and sustain their interest from the start.
• Staff know when children will benefit from listening to one of their favourite stories, such as when they are showing signs of needing a rest after vigorous outdoor play. Children delight in hearing staff use varying tones as they read. This helps to promote their early literacy skills and enrich their vocabulary.
• Children develop stamina and strength, running around outdoors and dancing inside to music. They jump from planks onto the ground and balance on beams. Staff ensure that there are a wealth of opportunities for children to exercise and develop their gross motor skills. They also focus on supporting children to practise their fine motor skills. For example, children use tweezers, scoops and pipettes to pick up vegetables and water as they pretend to cook.
• Staff provide plenty of praise for children's efforts. They encourage them to 'have a go' and practise self-care. As a result, younger children confidently serve themselves healthy snacks, such as melon and cheese, and pour their own drinks. Staff guide them to chop up bananas and strawberries with knives safely, and to add to milk for smoothies. However, on occasion, staff do not use these opportunities to promote children's understanding of healthy choices further, such as through discussion.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• refine monitoring strategies to strengthen teaching skills even further
• support staff to plan more precisely for adult-led groups to engage all children from the start and ensure their learning is promoted consistently well
• consider ways to enhance children's understanding of healthy choices.