Nursery @ Aspire

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The manager and staff provide a vibrant learning environment where children thrive and flourish. Children are excited to explore the activities on offer and immerse themselves in the experiences provided. They are happy and feel safe. Children's behaviour is exemplary. They have extremely positive and respectful role models to look up to. Leaders highly value children's and staff's well-being. Children learn to regulate their emotions in a secure environment.

Staff are passionate, dedicated and highly reflective to ensure that they provide the best possible learning experiences to stimulate and challenge children. Staff interact and support children with a nurturing and inclusive approach. They help children to feel confident to take risks. Staff go over and above in getting to know the children and their families; this supports children to settle quickly. Children transition to the setting with ease due to the strong attachments which they make with staff. On arrival, children enter happily and are thrilled to be greeted by their key person.

Children are prepared well for their future as they are taught to be independent, sociable and strong communicators. All staff engage in dialogue with children. They use every opportunity to interact and encourage children to talk and learn new words. Toddlers enjoy exploring the role-play fruit and are asked if they will share 'half' of the pear.

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

• Leaders are highly reflective and continuously strive for improvement. Staff are inspired to complete training to further their professional development. This enhances their practice, which has a significant impact on children's learning, development and progress. Recent training about the early years curriculum enables staff to provide activities which develop, consolidate and deepen children's knowledge across all seven areas of learning.
• The key-person system is extremely effective and staff know all children exceptionally well. Staff plan a well-sequenced curriculum, along with carefully planned transition and settling-in arrangements. This enables staff to know children's starting points in development and what they need to learn next to progress. For example, children are fascinated with experiments and enjoy creating a rain cloud with water, shaving foam and food colouring. Children independently pour water in a cup and use the newly acquired vocabulary of 'full', 'half full' and 'empty'. Staff are clear on what can be taught next, for instance, measuring using different-sized containers.
• Children learn about different emotions and how to manage their feelings. They show resilience and confidence when taking turns and sharing the resources available to them.
• Children are highly motivated and engaged. Staff support children exceptionally well and encourage them to keep trying if they find something difficult. Children respond to the positive praise and enthusiasm from staff which gives them the motivation to persevere with the task at hand.
• Children acquire excellent language and literacy skills, and make links within their learning. Staff introduce children to new vocabulary. They remember new words and independently use them in different contexts. For example, when children celebrate their birthday and bring in a caterpillar birthday cake to share, they remember when they had live caterpillars at the setting. Children comment, 'We had caterpillars, they went in a cocoon and was a butterfly'.
• The manager builds strong and effective partnerships with local schools and other external professionals. This collaboration improves outcomes for individual children, particularly children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.
• Staff successfully address gender stereotypes and use inclusive language. They choose books carefully to share with the children during story time, for example, 'Pink is for Boys'. Children learn that pink is for boys, girls and everyone. Staff plan rich experiences which encourage all children to enjoy all areas of learning, particularly the construction area and dolls.
• Staff celebrate diversity, and children talk positively about different family structures, multicultural cuisines and religious festivals. Children's knowledge is enriched further through stories and hands-on experiences, for example observing different dances from around the world.
• Children are encouraged and self-motivated to become independent learners. They happily put on their coats and shoes for outdoor play, and feed themselves using cutlery. Babies are also encouraged to feed themselves, either with a spoon or their fingers. Children know the routines well and are actively involved in the tidy-up routines after lunch and snack time.
• Children understand the importance of healthy eating and why oral hygiene is imperative. Children make healthy food choices and can talk about their own experience of going to the dentist.
• The relationships between parents and staff are exceptional. Parents comment on the positive relationships which they and their children have with the staff. They know who their child's key persons are. Parents are kept up to date through daily discussions, photos and through parent and key-person meetings. They report that staff go above and beyond for the children and feel like they have 'won the lottery' with their children attending the setting.