Nära Horton

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Staff help children to settle into the nursery well. For example, they find out about children's routines and likes and dislikes before they start attending. This helps staff to provide a familiar experience for children. Children are supported effectively on arrival each day. They are greeted by their key person as they enter their room, eager to find out what is on offer that day. Babies benefit from comfort and reassurance from their key person as they begin to explore their new environment.

Children are inquisitive learners who develop their understanding of the world around them. They hunt for insects in the garden, exclaiming excitedly when they see ants crawling. They learn about different insects, such as a beetle, worm and cricket. Children look inquisitively at insects through the magnifying glass, and staff help them to understand that insects will not hurt them. Children are curious and enjoy experimenting. They find out about cause and effect as they release car toys and see how far and fast they roll down the ramp. Children repeat their actions to see how different vehicles travel.

Children respond well to the high expectations that staff have of them. For instance, toddlers follow lunchtime routines, washing their hands and sitting with their friends to eat. They know that sleep time follows, and they snuggle down listening to the music playing.

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

• Leaders have a clear vision for supporting staff. Since registration, they have had a particular focus on promoting staff well-being. For example, staff enjoy a dedicated space to rest and relax at break times. Leaders regularly 'check in' with staff, and they enjoy 'Well-Being Wednesdays'. Leaders ensure that staff have time to complete their duties, and staff say they feel very well supported.
• Leaders have a positive attitude towards promoting children's good health. For instance, they have recently worked with specialists to revise the menu to ensure the food is nutritionally balanced. Children enjoy the food they eat. They learn to name the ingredients when cooking and also the contents of their meals. This is helping them to learn about a healthy diet.
• Staff provide opportunities for children to explore books. For example, when reading to babies, they repeat key words and accompany them with actions. Babies smile and babble along as they swish and wiggle to the words they hear. Toddlers learn new vocabulary as staff ask them questions about what they can see in the story, such as the strawberries that the caterpillar eats. When reading to older children, however, staff do not fully consider how they can engage children and develop their early reading skills further.
• Parents speak positively about the support they receive. For instance, they appreciate the close communication with their child's key person to share progress about the food their children are beginning to eat. They also comment positively on the resources that they can access, such as through the online app, to extend their children's learning at home.
• Staff promote children's good behaviour effectively. They provide positive praise to recognise children's efforts and achievements. Leaders plan precise professional development opportunities to further improve staff practice. For instance, they have plans to help staff learn about how to empower children to begin to manage their feelings and emotions.
• Staff have a clear vision for the curriculum, and they intend to promote opportunities for children to make choices and follow their own interests. However, on occasion, such as during adult-led cooking activities, the curriculum intent is not implemented as effectively as possible. For example, children approach and are eager to join in, staff ask them to sit and wait for their turn in the next group. This means that children watch and wait for long periods. They become impatient to join in, which detracts the staff's attention from the intended learning.
• Leaders are determined to continually improve the service they offer. They have a precise and focused action plan, which they are using to guide their team's approach. Leaders empower staff to take ownership of different aspects of nursery development. For instance, each room has a budget that they are responsible for, and they will be using it to improve the outdoors.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• review the delivery of adult-led activities and help staff to understand when they can be more flexible to capture the interest of those children who want to join in at that time
• support staff and help them to understand how to use their interactions when reading stories to extend older children's reading skills.