Noah's Ark Kindergarden

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children enjoy their time at this warm and welcoming nursery. Leaders prioritise partnerships with parents. Effective settling-in procedures ensure that key workers forge meaningful relationships with parents from the start. Families are also signposted to additional information and support at the local community hub when required. Key workers know their children well. Nurturing interactions between children and staff prioritise children's emotional well-being.

Learning programmes are well designed. Leaders ensure that learning builds sequentially as children move up the nursery. Staff have high expectations of the children and know their nursery community well. They adapt their curriculum to meet the needs of the children who attend. Communication and language development is a priority. Children engage in meaningful conversations during their day. For example, they discuss and decide where to plant their seeds. Staff role model good English and commentate on what the children are doing. This thoughtful work helps children make good progress in their learning and development.

Staff act as very good role models and celebrate the diverse cultures within the nursery. Children learn to respect one another's similarities and differences through planned activities, celebrations and daily routines. For example, the nursery cook will prepare food that reflects the cultures of the children who attend. Children are consistently kind and courteous to one another and staff.

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

• Staff thoroughly enjoy their jobs. They appreciate the meaningful support and regular supervision arrangements that leaders implement. They report how this support has helped them to grow in confidence. Since the last inspection, staff have completed a programme of professional development, which has improved their knowledge and understanding of child development. This has raised the quality of staff interactions with children at the nursery.
• Children experience many trips into the local area and are supported well to understand the world in which they live. They regularly visit the local park, library and church. Children have started to develop a food kitchen garden. They plant and water seeds. Eventually, they will harvest their crops and the cook will use these to make food for the children to enjoy.
• Leaders prioritise supporting children to develop a good foundation in mathematics. Staff consistently weave mathematics language into their interactions with the children. Children develop a strong understanding of shape and measure. They confidently identify shapes such as 'pentagon' and 'hexagon'. They spot these shapes in the nursery environment and use shapes in their play.
• For example, children make pentagon-shaped ice creams in the nursery playground.
• Leaders develop a good curriculum for physical development. Children regularly access fresh air and raise their heart rates. They enjoy playing on a range of equipment that supports their core strength and large-muscle development. Children are supported to develop their fine motor skills. For example, they squeeze spray bottles, put on gloves, sprinkle seeds and carefully turn the pages of books.
• Overall, children are developing independence. They find their coats and outdoor shoes and make choices in their play. However, staff sometimes do not support children to develop their skills further. For example, staff pump the children's soap and serve their meals and drinks. This means children are not always learning to be consistently self-sufficient and developing the skills they will need to move on to school confidently.
• Children participate in a number of routines during their day. At times, these routines do not support children's consistent engagement. For example, children gather at the carpet. However, this routine becomes too long, and children begin to lose their focus. This means that children do not fully benefit from the intended learning and are not consistently engaged during planned activities.
• Parents are very happy with the nursery. They report that their children are making 'fantastic' progress and are keen to attend. They comment on how much their children's language development has progressed. They feel supported by the staff and describe them as an extension of their family. They appreciate the ongoing information they receive about their children's learning and development. They particularly appreciate the excursions and trips children enjoy in the local community.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• improve the organisation of group times to ensure children maintain their engagement and benefit from the intended learning
• support staff to consistently support children to develop their independence to help them develop the skills they need to move on to school with confidence.