Nicki Day Nursery Ltd

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children arrive early at the nursery. They are eager to meet their friends and start their day. They form strong bonds with their key person, who knows their individual needs well. Partnerships with parents are strong, and information regarding the child's development is gathered from the very beginning. This is used to ensure a smooth settling in and to plan a fun and stimulating curriculum in accordance with the children's individual needs and interests.

Staff know what it is that they want children to learn. They differentiate teaching methods to ensure that all children take part, providing a broad and inclusive approach. This includes children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Children relish this approach and develop in confidence, and this helps them to make good progress.

Staff are positive role models so children show good manners and interact positively with their peers. They understand and follow the nursery's rules for behaviour, and children behave well.

Staff support children's speech and communication skills through a range of fun and exciting activities, and these are a key focus throughout the nursery. They introduce new language and know when to intervene to extend children's vocabulary. For instance, babies happily bounce and move side to side as they are introduced to musical instruments and nursery rhymes.

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

• Children benefit from regular opportunities to be physically active and play outdoors in the fresh air. The staff have worked hard to develop the outdoor space into an exciting and vibrant area with activities for all age groups to explore. Staff support children to lead positive lifestyles and help them to make healthy choices. They provide children with nutritious snacks and meals. Staff promote good oral hygiene, and all children brush their teeth after mealtimes. This helps support their well-being and physical development.
• Staff observe children and carefully monitor their development and progress. This enables them to support children during their play. They quickly identify where children need additional support. Working with parents and outside agencies ensures that children reach their full potential. While staff wait for advice and guidance, they initiate their own individual learning plans to help children to narrow gaps in their learning.
• Staff share daily updates and make suggestions on how parents can support learning at home on the online system. They provide verbal feedback to parents at the end of the day. Parents say that their children are happy at the nursery and have good relationships with their key person.
• Children demonstrate excitement as they re-enact favourite stories in fun and dynamic ways, moving around pretending to be jungle animals. Staff use lots of enthusiasm and different tones of voice as they read. This captures the children's interest and imagination, and children take great delight in using scarves as an elephant's trunk or a tiger's tail from the story. This helps develop an interest in books and literacy.
• Managers implement regular supervision sessions to discuss any support that staff require for their key children or themselves. They say they feel well supported and that their well-being is highly regarded. This has a positive impact on the working environment in the nursery. Staff have access to regular training to further develop their practice and improve outcomes for children.
• Staff ensure that children are always supervised, both indoors and outdoors. They remind children about safety. For example, children know they must wait their turn, and make an orderly line for the slide and move out of the way at the bottom to prevent accidents from occurring. However, through the curriculum, staff are yet to broaden children's awareness and understanding of the importance of keeping themselves protected when using technology to explore the world around them.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• plan more effectively to enable children to foster a deeper understanding of the technological world in which they live.