Noddy's Private Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Staff encourage children to be physically active. Older children practise and refine their physical fitness, muscle strength and coordination. Babies crawl over, climb around and navigate their way through a large, soft obstacle course. Staff support babies to stand and hold onto giant blocks to develop their core strength. Some babies even let go and take steps, with plenty of animated encouragement. The wonderfully enabling outdoor environment, coupled with strong teaching, helps to support children's excellent physical development.

Staff enrich children's language through regular singing and music. They use rhythm and songs to help children to learn new words and understand sentence structure. Staff use singing to promote clarity of pronunciation as children copy and join in familiar nursery rhymes. They encourage children to complete tasks for themselves. For example, children undertake responsibilities when they become 'lunchtime helpers'. Children help to prepare the table. They pour drinks and serve themselves pasta. Staff give children time to have a go, and in turn, children become independent and self-assured.

Leaders and staff have reviewed and strengthened the overall curriculum since the last inspection. Staff extend children's learning as activities progress. This helps to ensure that activities remain stimulating and retain children's enthusiasm. For example, staff encourage children to thread beads, which requires concentration. Children focus and very carefully thread a single bead. Staff encourage children to link multiple beads together, extending their perseverance and hand-eye coordination. Children succeed at this difficult task, and staff provide praise to reward this positive attitude and behaviour.

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

• Strong teamwork is a notable strength in the nursery. Staff show respect towards each other. They delegate tasks and share responsibilities effortlessly. In turn, staff meet children's needs quickly. Furthermore, children learn how to treat others as they witness this respectful interaction from staff.
• Managers and staff identify children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) early. They take swift and decisive action to support children with SEND. For example, some children have early intervention plans in place, which stipulate clear and simple targets. This system helps to focus staff's interactions and helps children to thrive.
• When children first start attending this nursery, they benefit from gradual settling-in procedures. Staff welcome parents and children into the nursery. They provide them with plenty of time to familiarise themselves. This helps children to quickly form trusting bonds with staff. Children are happy and settled.
• Staff are good role models. They show children what to do during activities to guide and support their learning. Children mimic staff's actions, illustrating that teaching is impacting positively on children's progress.
• Children's health is well promoted. They wash their hands before eating to minimise the risk of germs. Children learn about how to keep their teeth clean and healthy. They enjoy fresh air every day as they play in the large and well-equipped play area. Children learn key skills to live a happy and healthy life.
• Staff promote children's love of literacy from an early age. Children enjoy listening to stories, which staff deliver in an animated and fun way. Children retrieve their name tags as they begin to recognise their own name. They understand that print carries meaning and develop their early literacy skills well.
• Staff are kind and gentle. They foster positive attachments with children, who benefit from these warm and friendly relationships. For instance, staff are attuned to children's needs and quickly offer reassuring cuddles if needed. Children thrive because they are emotionally supported.
• Staff plan a varied, fun and engaging curriculum, led by children's interests. They use topics successfully to enhance children's learning. Children remain continually occupied, make good progress and enjoy their learning.
• Staff engage in a range of training. However, sometimes, professional development is not focused on precise areas where staff need to extend their skills. For instance, some staff have less confidence and skills in planning, in particular identifying precise children's next steps in learning. This means, occasionally, teaching is not focused exactly where needed to help children make even quicker progress.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• focus professional development in areas where staff are less confident, such as building their skills in planning for children's next steps, to help them focus teaching with greater precision and support children to make even quicker progress.