Norfolk House Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children flourish at this nursery. They form exceptionally close bonds with staff, who are extremely attentive to children's individual needs. A vast array of exciting activities, designed to ignite children's curiosity and thirst for learning, are provided throughout the nursery. Children sustain extremely high levels of engagement and concentration as they explore, and test and trial their ideas. Babies enjoy playing with coloured water. They splash, pour and scoop water into a variety of different receptacles. They giggle with delight and say, 'oh oh', when they tip water on the floor. Babies enjoy exploring different textures, such as paint or sea creatures hidden in shaving foam. Toddlers enjoy investigating a tray of vegetables. They scoop and tip them into pots using utensils or squish them through their fingers to feel the sensation. Staff talk with children about the names and colours of the vegetables and whether vegetable soup is healthy.

Pre-school children explore a variety of different materials designed to develop their skills in writing and mathematics. They use paintbrushes in flour to make marks and pencils to draw round numbers. Children work together as a team. They use connecting blocks to build a boat with a tall mast for their flag. Children's physical skills are encouraged as they play bat and ball. They persevere until they manage their hand-to-eye coordination and hit the ball. Staff play alongside children as they are invited into a game of 'tag'. There is a wonderful ambience of positivity throughout all the rooms. Children are at the very heart of this setting, in every aspect of their well-being.

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

• Leaders and staff adopt a curriculum that is ambitious and designed to give every child the best possible start. Staff know their key children extremely well. They gather detailed information from parents at the outset. This information is used to plan a tailored learning experience which is unique to each child, based on their interests and individual needs. All children are making excellent progress in their learning. They acquire the necessary skills for their next stage in learning and eventual move to school. Children behave exceptionally well.
• Staff plan and provide an astounding array of different activities, which invite children into a world of awe and wonder. They want children to gain knowledge from a rich variety of experiences they may not gain elsewhere. Extra-curricular activities, such as baby ballet and cooking classes, provide children with opportunities to develop and gain skills required for their future learning.
• Children's love for the outdoors is promoted at every opportunity. All children spend lots of time in the nursery's amazing garden. Older children gain hands-on experience using tools such as hammers and saws at the forest school sessions. All children experience visits from a 'travelling farm' and 'zoo lab'. This helps them gain an understanding of the world around them.
• Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are extremely well supported. Staff are very astute at recognising when a child may need further help or support. They complete observations and reports which are shared with parents. Parents are asked to complete their own observations at home, and they attend meetings to observe their child in the nursery environment. A plan is agreed and put in place to support their child. This means any additional help accessed, if necessary, is very early in the child's learning and development. This helps them make the very best progress they can.
• Children's health is prioritised and promoted. Children learn about healthy eating and how to keep themselves healthy. Good hygiene practices are followed. Outside, children access a hygiene station for wiping noses, and antibacterial hand gel to clean their hands. Children benefit from a menu designed by a nutritionist and fresh food that is cooked by a qualified chef. The nursery has access to its own health visitor. Parents can make appointments and access her clinic at the nursery.
• Parent partnerships are exemplary. Parents speak very highly of the nursery and say communication is excellent. They are invited to parents' evenings and stay- and-play sessions. All parents comment that they receive homework to support their children's learning even further at home. They enjoy the reading library and puppets for story time at home.
• Equality and diversity are threaded through all activities in the nursery. Children feel valued and learn to respect each other. They enjoy celebrating and learning about other cultures and faiths, such as Black History, where African drummers and Caribbean food tasting were on offer.
• Staff say that they feel valued and their well-being is supported. They have access to care organisations should they need extra support. Staff's professional development is encouraged. They can access and request any training they feel may be beneficial. Regular supervisions and training ensure the quality of teaching is outstanding.
• Staff have gone above and beyond during the COVID-19 pandemic. They provided learning packs with resources to all children, which were tailored to their individual interests and next steps in learning. Zoom meetings were held where children at the nursery could see and participate in activities with their friends at home. This was exceptionally good for their mental health and well-being.