New Longton Under 5's

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Staff provide a warm and nurturing welcome for children and their families. They meet with parents before their children start to attend and gather important information about each child. This is used effectively to help to ensure that the care and learning needs of all children are met from the start. Children quickly form close and trusting bonds with their key person. Staff know children incredibly well and sensitively support children to settle. Children eagerly welcome staff into their play and demonstrate that they feel safe and secure in their care.

Staff understand how young children learn and develop. They offer an ambitious and well-sequenced curriculum that is designed to prepare children well for their future learning and eventual move on to school. Staff use their knowledge of children's interests to engage and motivate them in their learning. Their knowledge of each child's next steps in learning means that they can teach important skills through whatever children choose to engage with. Children make good progress form their starting points.

Staff have high expectations for all children. They teach children how to interact with each other, share and take turns. When reminders are needed to redirect children's behaviour, these are gentle and reassuring. Staff provide clear explanations to support children's understanding of good behaviour further.

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

• Staff have a focus on developing children's social and communication skills. Children of all ages are immersed in the language of stories. They enjoy activities that build on their interest in different books. For example, toddlers gather leaves on a morning walk and later use them to create a character from one of their favourite books, 'Stick Man'. Children develop a love of literacy.
• Staff engage children in meaningful conversations. They introduce new words to enhance children's vocabulary. However, on occasion, some staff do not ensure that children hear the correct pronunciation of the sounds that letters make and words. For example, they use words such as 'doggie' and 'birdie' rather than dog and bird. At these times, children's language skills are less effectively extended.
• Children of all ages are enthusiastic mathematicians. Babies manipulate blocks and explore their different shapes and sizes, toddlers count the leaves they have collected and older children independently calculate using toy frogs, recognising who has more and less than themselves. Staff support children to build upon their mathematical knowledge and understanding as they play and during daily routines.
• Children are eager and enthusiastic learners. Staff promote children's independence well. They are always on hand to offer support when needed but encourage children to try and do things for themselves, such as pouring drinks. These opportunities, along with making decisions about what they wish to play with, support the development of children's independence and resilience.
• Children participate well in activities and are supported effectively by staff during their play. Occasionally, however, there are times when children transition between different routines of the day that are less well organised. At these times, some children lose their focus and usual good levels of engagement.
• Children enjoy a wealth of positive learning experiences outdoors. Trips to the woods to walk among wild garlic and navigate woodland paths, and opportunities to play on the large field and in the nursery garden, are plentiful. These opportunities not only enhance children's physical skills in the fresh air, but also enrich their experiences enormously.
• Leaders are passionate about their role and offer a wide range of coaching and support for their staff team. Staff appreciate how leaders care for their individual well-being and feel incredibly well supported. For example, staff are encouraged and supported to enhance their level of qualifications further. Leaders are reflective and encourage staff to share their ideas in order to contribute to the well-established process of self-evaluation.
• Parents speak incredibly highly of the staff team. They value the opportunities afforded to their child and say that nothing is ever too much trouble. Parents value communication through both the online app and daily conversations. They welcome the ideas that staff provide to help them to support their child's learning at home. Parents say that they highly recommend the nursery and that they 'would not send our child anywhere else'.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support staff to consistently model the correct pronunciation of words and the sounds that letters make to help enhance children's communication skills further
• enhance the organisation of transitions between different activities and routines of the day so that children remain focused and engaged.