New Amigo's

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are welcomed into the nursery by caring and friendly staff. New children and families benefit from a very gradual admission, including 'taster sessions' prior to starting. These visits help children to become familiar with a new environment and staff, which in turn helps them to feel secure. Children quickly settle in readiness to learn. They are happy and demonstrate emotional security. For instance, older children confidently wave goodbye to their parents on arrival. Babies affectionately hold hands with friends, learning to play together and enjoying social interactions with others. Children's secure self-esteem and contentment are largely because staff are friendly and foster a nurturing and warm atmosphere for children to flourish.

Staff offer children a good mix of planned and spontaneous play. They invest time and energy in planning and preparing exciting activities. Children enjoy their play and remain continually occupied. Children's curiosity and interest in books are nurtured. There are plenty of books throughout the nursery, easily accessible by children. Older children talked to the visiting inspector about their favourite stories, describing plots and characters in impressive detail. Engagement with literacy helps to extend children's communication and early reading skills. Children are physically active and enjoy energetic play outside. Staff play alongside children, encouraging them to take safe and supervised risks. To illustrate, children climb steps outside with ease and navigate sloping grassed areas with physical confidence. Children show curiosity when they play with jelly. Staff use strong questioning techniques to extend children's communication and language skills. For example, they talk about the textures of the jelly, describing it as 'squishy' and 'soft'. Children become confident communicators, supported by quality teaching in this area. Overall, the programme of learning is varied, fun and ignites children's curiosity and thirst for learning.

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

• Collectively, leaders and staff complete honest and regular reflection and evaluation activities. A clear and detailed action plan is in place to help drive improvements. The nursery has made significant improvements since the last inspection, driven by a new, ambitious manager.
• The manager and nursery owner are supportive leaders. They are actively involved in day-to-day activities throughout the nursery, often including themselves in ratios and care routines. Staff comment that they are happy in their work, encouraged by a supportive management team. A happy workforce contributes positively to the quality of service provided. Despite this active supervision, the manager does not frequently provide critical feedback for staff to improve their practice even further.
• Children who need extra support, including children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, are supported very well. Staff write and follow care plans to help ensure children's needs are understood and met. Care plans are shared among staff to ensure consistency for children.
• Since the last inspection, leaders and staff have worked hard to improve partnerships with parents. Staff pride themselves on detailed daily discussions with parents, recognising the importance of sharing key information. They provide ideas for parents to continue children's learning at home. Parents benefit from frequent updates through a well-established online observation system and termly newsletters. Children benefit greatly from positive partnerships between home and the setting.
• Staff frequently observe children. They have detailed knowledge of what children can and cannot do. However, sometimes during planned activities, staff do not focus their teaching on children's next steps in learning to help them make rapid progress.
• Risk assessments are effective. Staff check spaces and equipment prior to children playing. They understand what may present a possible risk to children and how to respond to this. For instance, staff continually count children. This frequent headcount procedure helps to ensure that children are well supervised and kept safe.
• Meals provided for children are varied and nutritious. Children have a wonderful appetite and often ask for more. Dietary needs are understood collectively by all staff, helping to meet children's individual needs.
• Staff carefully plan a range of activities, linked to a 'termly theme'. The curriculum offered is varied. Staff ensure there are simple and subtle differences in both equipment and teaching in each room in the nursery. This helps to ensure all children make good progress.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• implement systems to observe and coach staff, providing feedback on their practice, to improve their skills and their impact on outcomes for children
• ensure planned activities and teaching are more closely linked to children's next steps to help children make even more progress.