New Life Nursery Group

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children arrive keen and eager to start their day at this inclusive and inviting setting. Children are quick to join in and explore the activities on offer. They are warmly greeted on arrival by staff, who show a genuine interest and children are happy to leave their parents with ease. Throughout the nursery, staff build strong and affectionate relationships with children. Younger children approach familiar adults for cuddles and reassurance, if they need it. Older children show growing confidence as they talk to visitors about their time at nursery and politely ask their names. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are supported well by experienced and caring practitioners. For example, children with SEND are able to access the sensory circuit throughout the day to support their regulation.

Staff provide a wide range of meaningful experiences that capture children's attention and motivate them to join in. For example, staff play a summer themed bingo game. Children participate with excitement as staff skilfully adapt their teaching as children count, take turns and discuss the bingo cards. Staff introduce new vocabulary, such as barbeque, and engage in discussion around their understanding of why we wear hats in the summer. This successfully supports children's attention and reasoning skills. As a result, children make good progress in their development.

There are clear and consistent expectations for children's behaviour. Staff patiently explain why some behaviours are unacceptable. Children show respect for others, encourage their friends to join in and take turns when tidying up. Staff consistently offer praise, which helps to boost children's confidence as they learn new skills.

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

• Staff use observations and assessments to monitor the progress that children make and to identify appropriate next steps for children's development. They know the children that they care for well. Leaders have a good knowledge of the curriculum and what they want children to learn while at the setting. However, they have not ensured that all staff have a clear understanding of the curriculum intentions. This leads to occasional inconsistencies in how staff deliver the curriculum across the nursery.
• Children's language and communication skills are prioritised. Visual prompts, sign language and real-life objects help strengthen communication, particularly for younger children and those with additional needs. Leaders foster a love of reading as children enjoy snuggling with staff and read books. Parents also have access to a library of books or activity bags to take home. This helps children develop good communication skills.
• Staff swiftly identify when children need further support for their learning or development. They work in close partnership with parents and other health professionals. This helps staff to develop strategies to support children with SEND. Staff and leaders regularly review the plans for supporting children with SEND. They use additional funding to provide sensory resources or individual support for children. This ensures that children with SEND continue to achieve well and work towards their milestones.
• Children benefit from a range of physical activities. Younger children model play dough to support the small muscles in their hands. Older children practise their large movement skills as they squat and reach when washing cars. All children make progress in their physical development very successfully.
• Self-care and independence are promoted effectively from an early age. Younger children learn to wash their hands before meals and help to tidy up after snacks. Pre-school children show confidence in dressing themselves in fancy dress costumes and access the bathrooms independently. These opportunities help build a sense of independence and responsibility in preparation as they transition to school.
• Staff have access to training and leaders have implemented a supervision system, which supports staff to reflect on their practice. However, this does not always focus on how staff can improve their individual teaching practice. Leaders have identified the need to support staff to develop their skills, this is not yet embedded to ensure staff have the training, coaching and support to improve their teaching to a consistently high level.
• Leaders and staff work hard to develop positive relationships with parents. Parents speak highly of the setting and appreciate the time and support provided by the staff team, especially when transitioning to school. Parents value the regular updates on their children's progress, which is shared both verbally and electronically. This enables parents to continue their children's learning at home.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• continue to develop staff's understanding of the curriculum intent so that their teaching is consistently focused on what they want children to learn
• strengthen supervisions to provide staff with targeted coaching and training so that they can develop their practice to a consistently high level.