Nomony Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children enjoy their time at the nursery. When they enter, they find their name on their coat pegs and hang up their belongings independently. Staff welcome children warmly, and children settle well. They have formed close relationships with staff. Babies and toddlers put their arms out to staff or spontaneously sit on their laps. Older children confidently approach staff and talk to them about their needs. Staff respond effectively. Children feel safe and secure.

Staff know what they want children to learn and plan an engaging curriculum that helps to build on children's existing knowledge. For example, staff help babies explore sensory play. They support babies to use the sponges in the paint to create marks on their paper. They place their own hand over that of the child and, with encouragement and praise, babies attempt this independently. Toddlers begin to learn how tools work. They practise using a fork and spoon at lunchtime to feed themselves. Staff encourage them to use these. Toddlers develop good hand-eye coordination, enabling them to feed themselves. Older children enjoy washing toy cars with cloths and soapy water. They develop their physical skills well, creating large, circular arm movements as they wash away the dirt. All children have a positive attitude to learning.

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

• Children benefit from daily outdoor play, and children move around freely. Younger babies crawl confidently and pull themselves to a standing position, strengthening leg muscles. Older babies walk steadily on their feet. Toddlers and pre-school-age children pedal bicycles and demonstrate good spatial awareness. They move safely and show appreciation for their peers playing in the same area.
• Overall, parents report that their children enjoy coming to nursery, and staff encourage them to engage in home learning activities. For example, during 'science week', children created shadows and silhouettes at home and then shared photos of these with the nursery. Staff then displayed the photos for everyone to see, supporting children's achievements. However, some parents report that there is not always a consistent two-way flow of information where they can share children's development in more detail.
• Staff implement group times with all children. Children enjoy joining in with and using actions during the 'hello' song. Staff use photos of children to help peers recognise one another and to help everyone develop a sense of belonging. Children enthusiastically join in with nursery rhymes, using props for support. For instance, toddlers independently choose a soft toy from the basket. Staff help them to link the toy to a familiar nursery rhyme. Children develop good levels of attention and learn new words to support their communication and language.
• Children generally play well together. They share books and enjoy looking at the pictures together to encourage early reading skills. However, occasionally, staff in the baby and pre-school rooms do not role model to children effectively how to share. For example, when children have minor disagreements over toys, staff take the toy away instead of talking to children and helping them to manage their emotions. At times, children become upset.
• The recruitment procedure is robust. Leaders implement suitability checks and ensure new staff have appropriate experience for the role. Leaders carry out frequent staff supervision sessions where professional development is discussed. Staff share their views on their performance with leaders. Together, they discuss strengths and training opportunities. For example, staff display visual aids to help children communicate. Staff say that they feel well supported by leaders and can approach them should they need to.
• Children enjoy the responsibility of small tasks, and staff provide them with a five-minute alert before they need to tidy up ready for snack. However, when the time comes, staff in the baby and pre-school rooms do not always help children to understand what they need to do to aid the transition. They become confused and start playing with other toys.
• Children benefit from going on outings with staff in the community, such as to the aquarium or nearby pet shop. They learn how to care for animals and about the local sea life to support their understanding of the world.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• strengthen relationships with parents to help provide a consistent two-way flow of information to benefit children
• provide effective role modelling and positive behaviour strategies to help children learn to share and manage their emotions effectively
• help children to understand and follow routines to aid transitions.