New Adventurers

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Staff know the children well and build strong, nurturing relationships with them. As a result, children feel safe, confident and ready to explore. Staff support children in following their interests and guide them to try new things and develop new skills. The provider and staff deliver an ambitious curriculum to meet the needs of all children. All children make good progress from their starting points. Staff plan themed activities based on children's interest. Children are curious, engaged and excited to learn. Older children count the spots on the ladybirds as part of their early mathematical development. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) particularly enjoy the pop-up story books. Younger children develop their pincer grip by using tongs to pick up toy sea creatures. Staff help children pull and stretch play dough to make octopus tentacles. Babies sit with staff sharing touch-and-feel books. They learn to turn the pages and smile with delight as they lift the flaps. These activities help children learn new words, better understand the natural world and build social skills by sharing ideas with their friends.

Staff treat every child with respect and act as positive role models. They support children in learning to listen, share, take turns and show kindness. When minor disagreements arise, staff step in to help. Children respond well and, with support from staff, are beginning to understand how to take turns and share.

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

• The provider demonstrates a strong commitment to the nursery and the experiences it offers children. Since the last inspection, they have worked with staff to drive meaningful improvements. They have developed the outdoor curriculum to better support and extend children's learning. Children enjoy taking their indoor activities outside. They grab clipboards and pencils to go on minibeast hunts, getting excited when they spot ladybirds and earwigs.
• Most of the time, staff show strong teaching skills. They encourage children to use the resources around them and take the lead in their play. Staff engage in a range of activities linked to what children need to learn next, and they join in well during play. However, sometimes they are not clear about what skills or knowledge they want children to gain from an activity. This means the teaching is not always as strong as it could be.
• The provider supports staff in their work by holding regular supervision meetings. These meetings focus on children's progress and staff well-being. They also help the provider identify any training needs and offer support for staff's professional development.
• Children build their mathematical skills through play. For example, staff talk about shape and size as children play with the play dough. They count together while the children scoop sand with spoons, making learning numbers fun and playful.
• Staff support children's communication and language development. They use simple language and repeat key words to reinforce learning. As they sing and share stories, they introduce new vocabulary. Children explore sounds while playing instruments, experiencing a variety of tones and rhythm. As children create teddy bear pictures, staff talk with them to encourage conversation.
• Children enjoy snack time together. It is a positive part of their day, but staff do not always prepare tidy-up routines in the best way. Sometimes, they are not where they are most needed to support the children and keep them engaged.
• The provider and staff give good support to children with SEND. They understand each child's needs and work well with other professionals. They also discuss children's plans with parents, which helps them plan what to teach next.
• Staff build positive relationships with parents. Staff update parents on their children's learning and share helpful tips for supporting it at home. Parents appreciate the support they get during important times, like when their child is settling in or moving to a new room in the nursery.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• embed good-quality teaching so that it is consistent across the whole staff team
• review the organisation of the deployment of staff during routine activities to ensure engagement with children remains consistently strong.