Norbury Hill Cubs Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children and parents are warmly welcomed by staff on their arrival at the nursery. Conversations take place to exchange information, which supports children's well-being. This ensures that staff are attentive to children's needs during the day. Children are encouraged to be independent. For example, they take responsibility for their belongings and find their labelled pegs and trays. Children settle quickly, and staff offer reassurance and share cuddles when needed. This helps children to feel safe and secure.

Staff have high expectations for all children and plan an exciting and broad curriculum. Children show a positive attitude to their learning. They are motivated to explore and engage in the different activities. For example, children persevere with using tools to manipulate dough to make faces. Younger children enjoy pouring water and laugh as they drop animals in the tray to make a splash. Older children practise using scissors and write letters in chalk to extend their fine motor skills.

Children listen well to instructions and understand the nursery's rules. They help to tidy away the toys after playing and share resources well. Staff regularly praise children for their efforts. This helps to raise children's self-esteem and reinforce their positive behaviour.

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

• Managers are enthusiastic and passionate about providing high-quality care and education for all children. They regularly evaluate practice and have identified areas for improvement to benefit children. Managers proactively include staff and parents in their vision. Staff are supported extremely well to manage their mental health and well-being. New initiatives, such as 'staff star of the month', have strengthened staff's morale and teamwork.
• Staff get to know children well from the beginning. Children are invited to attend celebration days with their parents. This helps them to become familiar with the nursery before they start. Staff follow children's interests and use observations to monitor their progress. They identify any gaps in learning and take action to ensure that these areas are addressed. The manager works in partnership with other professionals to make sure that all children make good progress.
• Parents speak extremely positively about the nursery and the community approach it provides to their families. Parents feel fully involved in their children's learning and state that communication is excellent. They receive regular updates on their child's progress and ideas to continue their learning at home. Parents appreciate the trips organised for the weekends. This allows parents to attend with their children and further build relationships.
• Staff promote children's language and communication well. They engage children in conversations and ask meaningful questions. Children are given time to think and answer, and are encouraged to extend their sentences. Staff introduce new vocabulary, engage children in singing activities and share stories. Staff use celebrations, such as World Book Day, to promote children's love of reading. However, on occasions, staff do not plan some group activities as effectively. This means that some children's learning becomes less engaged as they lose interest.
• Staff weave mathematics through children's play activities and routines. Children count as they climb stairs and learn about weight as they test items on the scales. They add equipment to water to see which ones float or sink. Younger children concentrate well as they stack shape rings and build towers. Children enjoy painting and engage in craft activities. However, some of these activities are adult-focused and limit children's opportunity to practise their skills and be creative.
• Staff promote healthy lifestyles and consistent care routines. Children wash their hands and clean their teeth to promote good hygiene. Children extend their physical skills in the garden, learning balance and coordination. They learn breathing techniques during yoga to help with regulating their emotions. The nursery chef provides nutritious meals that include traditional foods from other cultures. This extends children's understanding and awareness of different people and communities.
• The management team has robust recruitment plans in place. All staff receive a thorough induction, which ensures that they understand their roles and responsibilities well. Staff participate in supervision sessions and engage in extended training to increase their knowledge and skills further.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• strengthen group activities to ensure that all children stay focused and benefit from their learning
• support staff to make sure that craft activities are less adult-focused and allow children to develop and practise their creative skills.