Newton Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children arrive at the nursery with enthusiasm and know where to hang their coats. They move around the room, choosing what they want to play with. Children develop physical skills during outdoor activities. They learn to negotiate space as they ride tricycles in and out of cones. They kick balls to each other and shout 'goal' as they score. Children explore how the water runs down the path with great excitement. They chase the water, being careful not to slip, and scream with delight as it reaches the bottom of the playground.

Children are eager to take part in the activities that staff provide. They behave well and engage in these activities for long periods. Staff interact with children and get down to their level as they play. Children relish playing with the play dough. They develop their imagination as they pretend to make pancakes. Children roll, poke and flatten the dough using their small-muscle skills. They use tools such as rolling pins with control and roll out the dough. Children tell staff that they have cream and sweets on their pancakes at home. Older children count accurately to six as they make tiny balls. They place these balls on their pancake, add one more and say 'this makes seven'.

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

• Managers are supportive towards their staff and provide regular supervision sessions to help improve staff's practice. Staff go on training to develop their skills. They use these newly acquired skills to support children's learning. For example, staff completed a course on how two-year-old children learn. They have adapted their practice to let two-year-old children watch and listen before encouraging them to join in.
• Staff support older children to ensure that they are well prepared for the move on to school and their future learning. Children are encouraged to be independent. They manage their own care needs as they prepare for snack time. Children know to wash their hands and sit at the table. They choose what snack they want, using 'please' and 'thank you'. They pour their own drink and spread their own butter onto crackers with control. Children chat among themselves and clear away their plate and cup when they finish.
• Staff have strong partnerships with parents. Parents' testimonials show that they hold the nursery in high regard and value the staff. Parents spoken to on the day of the inspection talked about the quality of information they receive. They are confident that their children are safe and that they are making good progress.
• Staff provide opportunities to extend children's experiences from home. For example, staff know that some children have pets at home or live on a farm. Staff widen children's knowledge of other animals. They invite a company into the nursery to bring in different animals, such as tarantulas and tortoises. Children have the opportunity to hold the animals and find out about what they eat. This also helps children to overcome their fear of spiders.
• Staff promote children's behaviour well. They talk to children about why they are having a dispute and encourage them to solve this for themselves. For example, as two younger children argue about a truck they wish to play with, staff talk to them about sharing and taking turns. The two children stop arguing and begin to play together, moving the truck along in turns.
• The managers provide a broad curriculum which follows children's interests and builds on what they already know and can do. Staff consider children's prior learning as they interact with children in positive ways during their play. However, some staff do not know what skills or knowledge they want the children to gain from the activities they plan for them.
• Overall, staff support children's language well. They model clear language when talking to children and hold conversations to encourage them to speak about their own experiences. Staff sing songs with the children to help extend the children's vocabulary. However, some staff do not use effective questioning techniques when speaking with children. At times, staff ask several questions in quick succession. As a result, children struggle to respond, or they offer one-word responses. This does not help to widen their thinking or speaking skills further.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• strengthen staff's understanding of the curriculum intent so they are clear what skills and knowledge they want children to gain from activities and experiences
• give children more time to think about and respond to questions to help build their speaking and thinking skills further.