Nurtured @ Alverthorpe

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Staff in the nursery are welcoming, friendly and professional. They provide a nurturing environment for children and meet their care needs effectively. Children are happy in the nursery and show that they feel safe. Babies settle in very quickly and build bonds with their key person. They explore their surroundings with interest. Toddlers have plenty of activities to choose from and begin to develop preferences for learning. Staff respond to this and plan experiences which the children find interesting. Older children are well prepared for starting school and demonstrate good levels of self-confidence. They have particularly good literacy skills and show enjoyment in stories and mark making. Staff have high expectations for all children and help to minimise gaps in learning. They know children well and are aware of their areas for development.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, parents have stopped coming into the nursery to drop off and collect children. Staff ensure that they keep parents updated using online platforms and maintain effective communication. This helps to reassure new families and ensure that staff are aware of any changes to children's routine. Children's behaviour is consistently good. They have good levels of self-esteem and learn how to take turns. Although staff have observed the impact of the pandemic, children continue to develop good personal, social and emotional skills.

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

• The nursery owner works closely with the manager to offer support to the whole team. They actively promote staff's positive emotional well-being and are always available if needed. Staff report that they feel happy and valued here. They are keen to discuss their ideas to make improvements to the nursery and have high expectations for children.
• Children enjoy a wide range of activities inside and outside. Staff help them to broaden their experiences and learn about other people and cultures around the world. However, there are times during children's play when staff could focus their teaching to add purpose and build on their individual goals. For instance, some children wander around between activities and do not stay long enough to engage deeply.
• Staff help children to develop communication and language skills. For example, they model new words to babies as they explore crispy pieces in a plastic tray. Toddlers sing songs and older children show excitement as they join in the end of the story. The manager has plans to provide staff with specific training to help them focus on this area of children's learning even more effectively.
• The curriculum for children's physical development is a strength throughout the nursery. Babies are encouraged to begin to feed themselves and hold their own bottles. Staff help toddlers to develop small physical skills using dough and encourage children to make marks in flour. Older children show pride as they use chalks to write the letters in their name once they have developed their grip.
• Children benefit from opportunities to explore outdoors in the garden and learn about living a healthy lifestyle. They have good levels of independence and persevere to develop skills. For instance, they talk to staff about how often they brush their teeth and persist as they peel their oranges independently at snack time.
• Staff are good role models for children. They manage behaviour positively and use consistent strategies to support children. For example, staff consistently offer children a hug if they are feeling frustrated and this is highly effective. Children develop good social skills and take part in group activities and circle time. Overall, these are positive experiences. However, some groups are too large and this has an impact on how well some children join in.
• Partnerships are effective and staff work hard to promote continuity. For example, they work alongside educational psychologists and speech therapists to create targeted plans for children. This helps children to make good progress in relation to their starting points.
• Staff ensure that parents feel included in their children's care and learning each day. Parents are particularly happy with the way that staff communicate. They feel that staff show the same level of love and commitment for their children as they do and say that children are thriving.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• focus teaching sharply during children's play to maximise opportunities for learning
• help staff to develop their specific skills and knowledge to further support children's communication and language
• consider the impact of group size for children, particularly those who are shy or new to the nursery.