Nethertots Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children at this nursery receive a positive start to their education. The welcoming and friendly staff greet children as they arrive, and children happily wave goodbye to their parents. Children form good attachments with staff, which helps them to feel settled and safe. Staff plan the curriculum with careful consideration for all areas of learning. They demonstrate their knowledge of individual children's next steps in learning as they support and encourage children during their play. For example, staff support older children to count objects into a cup, while they help younger children to match by colour or size. All children make good progress from their starting points in development.

Staff offer learning opportunities that will help to prepare children for their eventual transition on to school. For example, children serve their own snacks and meals. They concentrate well as they scoop lunch onto their plates. Children learn to use a knife and fork to eat. Staff know that these skills of independence will help children in the next stage of their education. Staff demonstrate kind and caring behaviour. They remind children to use 'kind hands' and 'walking feet'. Children copy staff and their behaviour is generally good. Staff deploy themselves well and communicate effectively to ensure that children are always supervised. This helps to keep children safe.

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

• Staff observe children and know them well. They teach children through carefully planned activities that focus on what children need to learn next. Staff nurture children's interests and teach them using things that they enjoy. For example, staff know children are currently interested in animals and add resources about animals to each area of learning. This helps to make learning engaging and meaningful for children.
• Support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) is a strength. The nursery works in partnership with other agencies, such as staff who support children with sensory impairments and speech language therapists. Staff attend training to further their knowledge of ways to support children with SEND. For example, they develop strategies to communicate with non-verbal children. Children with SEND thrive as they make progress at this nursery.
• During planned activities, staff encourage children to engage and to play together. This helps children to build friendships. However, during free play, some children find it hard to join in activities with other children. They watch others with interest but wander away if they are not invited to join the group. On these occasions, staff do not consistently support children to develop their confidence and social skills.
• Staff and children use books frequently throughout the nursery. Staff have developed a lending library. Children are delighted to continue reading at home. Parents and staff note that this helps children to recall familiar phrases in stories. This skill will help children when they learn to read.
• Staff help children to explore what makes them unique. They create books with children containing photos of their families, pets and special events. This helps children to learn about similarities and differences in families.
• Staff encourage children's physical development through planned activities. Children benefit from daily learning opportunities to build their large muscles and coordination. In addition, staff teach children about healthy food and drink. They support families by offering menu ideas. Children develop their knowledge of healthy lifestyles.
• Staff acknowledge children's achievements with regular praise throughout the day. For example, they say 'well done' or 'good boy' as children manage tasks. This helps children to feel good about themselves. However, staff do not consistently describe what they are praising children for. As a result, children do not always know precisely what they have done well and what behaviour they should continue to demonstrate.
• Staff attend supervision sessions and team meetings. They access a variety of training programmes and share best practice with each other. Staff report that they enjoy working at the nursery and that their morale is high. Leaders value staff and give their well-being a high priority. They ensure that staff's workload is manageable and they have time to complete duties before children arrive or when they go home.
• Families benefit from the strong partnership that the nursery has embedded with the community centre. Together, they offer support, such as a stay-and-play session, which help to build parents' knowledge. For example, parents learn that using dough builds children's manipulative skills and finger strength in readiness for writing. Parents share with enthusiasm how they help their children to continue their learning at home.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• focus on strategies that support children's social skills further, to help them to engage in activities with their peers
• encourage children to repeat new skills and good behaviours, such as, by helping them to recognise their achievements.