Nightingale Nursery Castle Donington

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Staff welcome children with enthusiasm and kindness at this friendly nursery. Children separate from their parents with ease and enter the nursery full of confidence. Staff enable children to select their own activities and to make independent choices from the stimulating and inviting resources available.

Children show a desire to learn and are supported well by staff to make good progress. They are familiar with the nursery routines and respond well to staff instructions and guidance. This is because staff consistently provide children with clear instructions and boundaries throughout the day.

Staff are observant and respond well to children's interests, using these to help to promote their learning. For example, older children find a web hidden in a tree and become engrossed in conversations with staff, as they discuss what they know about spiders. Staff extend children's knowledge as they talk about what spiders eat and how they lay eggs. They encourage children to think about what might happen if they touch and break the web. Toddlers are encouraged to revisit previous learning as they re-enact the role of firefighters and are enthralled while exploring dried pasta. Babies enjoy looking at familiar photos and cuddling into staff while looking at books. These opportunities help children to develop the necessary skills in readiness for their next steps in learning.

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

• Leaders and managers have created a well-thought-out curriculum, which is sequenced and covers the areas of children's learning. Staff focus on children being able to make choices about what they want to explore and learn. This enables children to acquire the skills to become confident and successful learners.
• Children learn to behave well and follow daily routines. Staff recognise and praise children's efforts and achievements. They are positive role models and have a gentle, calm approach throughout the day. This impacts positively on children, who have the same calm and relaxed demeanour.
• Staff place a strong emphasis on reading with children and developing their love of books. Younger children enjoy listening to stories and looking at pictures of zoo animals while staff model the sounds they make. Older children are encouraged to independently access books and enjoy regular story-time sessions.
• Staff are very knowledgeable about children. They describe their stage of development, interests, likes and dislikes in detail. However, they do not always make the most of information from children's assessments to help plan activities that consistently focus very precisely on what each child needs to learn next.
• Staff support children's growing vocabulary and their understanding of words and sounds. Older children join in group-time discussions and confidently share imaginary tales. Staff provide babies with a narration of what they are doing and introduce new words, such as 'pop' and 'blow'. Toddlers enjoy selecting song cards and joining in the actions of familiar songs and rhymes.
• Staff help children to become independent and to learn about healthy lifestyles. Younger children are supported to carry out good hygiene practices, such as washing their hands and brushing their teeth after eating. Older children learn to manage their personal care needs, such as going to the toilet independently. This helps to ensure children are ready for school when the time comes.
• Managers are reflective in how they evaluate areas of the nursery to identify changes that can be made. They recognise strengths and weaknesses and continually strive to improve the provision and the care they offer. Staff benefit from regular supervision meetings to help improve their practice. They report they feel supported by management and enjoy working at the nursery.
• Parents express how happy their children are to attend and comment on the progress children have made since they started. They state that staff create exciting activities for their children and keep them well informed about their care routines. However, staff have not yet found the most effective way to share information with parents, so they are clear about their child's next steps in learning and how they can support these at home.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support staff to make the most of information gained from children's assessments, to help focus activities even more precisely on what each child needs to learn next
• improve strategies for sharing information with parents, so parents are clear regarding their child's next steps in learning and how they can support their learning at home.