Nurserytime

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children form close bonds with staff at this very inclusive and friendly nursery. Staff are caring, gentle, respectful and kind. They build lovely relationships with children and get to know them well. Children are very settled, happy and secure. They enjoy opportunities to learn through their senses. For example, children explore with coloured rice and cut flowers. They smell the herbs that they mix with soil and water in the outdoor kitchen. Staff plan a wide range of experiences for children that they know will interest and challenge them. For example, children practise chopping fruit and vegetables, such as peppers and melons. They smell and feel the fruit. Children are enthusiastic, curious and eager to learn.

Children grow strongly in their independence. Staff support them to hang up their coats, pour their own drinks and to serve themselves at lunchtime. Staff support children well to keep calm and manage their feelings and behaviour. For example, children use soft toys as comforters and 'buddies' they can share books with. They take part in yoga sessions to help them to focus and relax. Staff teach children to be kind to their friends and to other living things. For example, they encourage children to be 'nice and gentle' to the insects they find during a bug hunt in the enclosed garden.

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

• Children benefit from good opportunities to learn about nature and the natural world. They plant flowers and hunt for worms. Children observe butterflies emerging from chrysalises. They take turns to carefully hold the butterflies on their arms and watch in fascination as they open and close their wings.
• Overall, staff support children's communication and language skills. They use familiar stories and songs to help children to embed and extend their vocabularies. Staff use questions skilfully to help children express their ideas. They use sign language to support children's communication still further.
• Staff plan good support for children's physical development. Outside, they provide rich opportunities for children to develop their core strength as they balance, stretch and climb. Children explore sand with their hands and feet in the large sandpit. They make wide movements with their arms as they make marks on large rolls of paper.
• Children build smaller muscles in their hands and fingers as they learn to use them in different ways. They fill jugs in the water tray and use tweezers to pick up flowers to add them to their pretend potions.
• Staff plan secure daily routines. These help children to settle and develop in confidence. However, at specific times of day, such as welcome time and lunchtime, staff are not deployed as effectively. This results in more waiting for children and less opportunities for staff to support children's conversational skills.
• Children benefit from daily fresh air and exercise. They enjoy balanced, nutritional, home-cooked meals and healthy snacks. Children learn about healthy eating and the importance of cleaning their teeth. Staff explain to children the importance of remaining hydrated in the hot weather.
• Staff plan strong opportunities for children to learn about life outside the nursery through visits and trips. They visit the library, football ground and local care home, where they enjoy meeting the residents.
• Children take part in litter picking and planting flowers at a local community space. Staff place a strong focus on outdoor play, and use additional funding to develop the exciting outside space for children who prefer to learn outdoors.
• Partnerships with parents are strong. Staff plan events and resources to help involve parents in their children's learning. For example, they arrange stay-and-play days and have developed a book borrowing scheme.
• Staff have established very strong relationships with partner professionals in education and health who are involved with the children in their care. This includes children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. This helps to create a strong, consistent and tailored approach to supporting children's learning.
• The manager provides strong support to her staff team through observations, meetings and constructive feedback. Staff work very well together and reflect regularly on experiences for children.
• The manager and senior staff gather views from parents and have a very positive attitude toward continuous improvement. They are dedicated to their work and passionate about the service which they provide.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• review daily routines, such as welcome time and lunchtime, to improve waiting times for children and to support children's conversational skills.