Nightingales Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Staff create a calm and inclusive environment. They welcome children and their parents warmly at the nursery. Staff are very caring and give children lots of cuddles and reassurance to help them to settle in quickly. This practice empowers children and gives them a great deal of emotional security. Staff teach children how to look after themselves. For example, they gently remind children to take turns when using the play equipment, including outdoors, to minimise accidents. Children learn how to play safely.

Staff give children's happiness the highest priority. One of the ways they do this is by delivering a curriculum that children enjoy and which teaches them important skills. For example, staff read lots of stories to children, which further develops their love of books. Staff who work with babies are very good at engaging them in sensory play. This motivates babies to play well. Staff provide children with plenty of opportunities to practise and extend their early writing skills. Over time, particularly the older children have learned to write their name with confidence. They display strong early writing skills. In addition, children gain good levels of mathematical concepts. They show this, such as when they count their toys without needing help from staff.

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

• The manager evaluates her practice rigorously to identify strengths and where further improvements could be made to build on existing good practice. She sets high expectations for the children. For example, since the last inspection, the manager promotes children's independence skills from an early age. She is keen for all the children to do as many age-appropriate tasks for themselves in preparation for school.
• Staff work hard to form strong relationships with parents. They provide parents with relevant information to promote continuity for their children's care and education. Parents tell the inspector that staff are particularly kind, caring and sensitive professionals. This gives parents, including those who are new to the nursery, high levels of confidence in staff.
• Staff observe and assess children's learning to help plan an ambitious curriculum. This enables children, including those who speak English as an additional language, to make notable progress from their starting points. In some areas, such as language and literary skills, some children are making significant progress. Older children, for example, use a wide range of vocabulary and express themselves articulately. However, staff do not plan and sequence the outdoor curriculum as effectively as possible. This prevents staff from supporting children's physical development to the highest level.
• Staff follow good hygiene procedures consistently. They encourage children to wash their hands before eating to stop the spread of germs and infectious illnesses. The supervision of children is good, including at mealtimes. However, staff do not always make good use of opportunities to teach children about food and the impact this has on their bodies.
• Staff manage children's behaviour well. They talk to children about sharing and how to express their emotions appropriately. This helps children to relate more positively to their peers and adults.
• The manager ensures that staff have up-to-date knowledge of safeguarding matters. She offers them regular training and talks to them about indicators of neglect and other types of abuse. Staff are alert to changes in children's behaviour and if they have unexplained absence. In such circumstances, they know what to do and how to escalate their concerns to protect children's welfare.
• Staff report that they receive good levels of support from the manager. They have completed rigorous recruitment checks to ensure their suitability to work with children. There are opportunities for staff to develop their knowledge and skills. For example, they have benefited from learning about gender stereotypes and the impact these have on children. Following this, staff facilitate more play activities that promote children's awareness of similarities and differences between people.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• increase support for staff to help them to plan and sequence the outdoor curriculum more effectively
• build on children's understanding of the benefits of having a healthy lifestyle.