Number 9 The Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are safe and settled in this welcoming environment. They develop close and trusting bonds with the staff, who have a caring and friendly manner. This helps to create a good foundation for their future development.

Children have a positive attitude to learning. Babies explore and investigate resources intently with staff support. Staff have high expectations of all children and provide an ambitious curriculum that engages and motivates their learning. Children play happily in the spacious and secured outdoor area. Toddlers and older children busily engage in a range of activities both inside and outside.

All children, develop good language skills and learn to communicate with others. Staff are attentive and engage in conversations with children throughout the day. Babies and toddlers enjoy stories and singing with staff. Older children express their wants and needs confidently.

Older children develop strong independence, while toddlers and babies are supported by staff to learn simple self-care skills such as washing hands and feeding themselves. Staff encourage children to take turns and encourage the use of manners during daily routines. Overall children behave well and are supervised by staff to ensure they are safe.

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

• All children have an allocated key person who works closely with parents. This helps children to settle well when they start. Staff gather information from parents to understand each child's individual needs. For example, what children already know and can do, what they are interested in and the support they need to help tailor each child's care and education.
• Children learn about different cultures, peoples' similarities, and differences. They develop good turn taking skills and learn to share. Children are respectful of others.
• Babies develops strong bonds with their key person and staff in the room. They are provided with a range of experiences that inspire their interest, movement, and communication skills.
• Staff promote children's good health. For example, children grow vegetables in the garden and have fresh fruits and vegetables daily. Staff talk to children about healthy lifestyle and promote good dental hygiene.
• Overall, children behave well. They engage with staff and their peers. Babies are curious about their environment and explore different activities. Children are very busy and energetic. However, mealtimes are not as well managed as other routines, particularly for younger children. They can wait for a long time, and this can lead to them feeling unsettled.
• Parents speak very highly of the nursery and staff. They say that their children enjoy their time and have made steady progress since starting. Parents say they are kept well informed of their children's day and experiences in various ways. They are provided with resources to support their children's learning at home. For example, there is a book lending scheme.
• Staff plan interesting activities for children to learn and develop a range of skills. They focus on older children developing skills for starting school. For example, their small muscle skills to support writing and being independent and caring for their personal needs, such as toileting. Children participate in small group discussions. They develop a love of books, which are easily accessible around the nursery.
• Staff understand children's levels of development and individual needs. This ensures that children are provided with purposeful learning experiences. Where appropriate, staff undertake prompt referrals to specialist services and other professionals. As a result, all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, make good progress from their starting points.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• review routines around mealtimes for younger children to ensure they are not waiting too long.