Nuffy Bear Day Nursery - Tunbridge Wells

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children value the warm and nurturing interactions of staff, who are attentive to children's sensitive needs. In particular, when children wake from their sleep, they welcome a cuddle from staff. Children lead their own play experiences. They enjoy free-flow access to the outdoor environment throughout the day. Children enjoy transporting items from one area of the setting to another. For instance, children move the play dough to the role-play area to make food. This supports children's play experiences.

Children's imaginations flourish as they engage in role play with one another. Children find and put on their coats to pretend to 'go on a road trip to the moon'. Staff engage in children's role-play experiences and extend their language and vocabulary skills. Children's mindset to learning is positive. They prompt questions and recall previous experiences. For example, while making bird feeders, the children remember seeing a robin in the garden. Children talk about the bird, then notice a robin on the packaging and recall what they had seen. Children value parents being welcomed back into the setting to drop-off and pick-up times following the pandemic. Children separate from their parents with ease, ready to join their friends in play.

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

• The manager is clear of the curriculum intent for all children. The curriculum is age appropriate, broad and ambitious for all children. Staff have secure knowledge of their roles and responsibilities as key persons. Parents receive regular updates and assessments of their child's learning and development.
• Older children benefit from extra-curricular activities once a week. For instance, children have swimming lessons. This strengthens their body muscles, promotes a healthy lifestyle and develops endurance skills. Children have a wealth of outdoor experiences. They challenge their physical skills by balancing, kicking, throwing and pedalling, using whole-body movements.
• Staff fully value children's opinions and display these alongside their artwork and creations. This promotes a sense of self-worth.
• During mealtimes staff encourage children's freedom of choice. Children have the option to decide when they would like to sit and eat, or continue playing until they are ready. However, the arrangement for mealtimes does not support younger children to learn the skills needed to serve themselves and develop good table manners.
• Staff work collaboratively with parents and other professionals to support children who have special educational needs and/or disabilities. They work together to identify children's needs, recognise the support that is needed and track their progress to ensure the best possible outcomes.
• Parents speak highly of the setting. Parents report that 'children have made good progress since starting at the setting'. Parents particularly emphasise the effectiveness of the support for children as they move from one age group room to the next. Parents value the events held by the setting, such as coffee mornings and parents' evenings. They also enjoy receiving snapshots of their child's development written as 'wow moments'.
• Some older children use sand timers independently, managing tasks without the help of staff. This supports problem-solving, reasoning and cooperative skills and reinforces positive behaviour management. However, staff do not consistently teach methods to support younger children to recognise, understand and regulate their own emotions, feelings and behaviour. So, on occasion, unwanted behaviour is not challenged consistently.
• Children develop an understanding of the wider community. For instance, children are excited to write letters to other Nuffy Bear settings to become pen pals. This encourages emerging literacy skills, giving children deeper connections and broadening children's perspectives. Staff also make links to the local schools, supporting children with the move to school.
• Staff's professional development is effective. The manager has clear and robust procedures for developing and supporting the skills of her practitioners. This includes managerial observations, individual and staff meetings and training.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• strengthen staff's understanding of developing a consistent approach to managing children's feelings and behaviours
• revise mealtime routines to build on children's growing independence skills and create opportunities for positive social interactions.