Nurtured @ Wakefield

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are always busy learning at this nursery. On their arrival, they are met with exciting activities. The strong ethos of care and kindness from staff towards children helps them to settle quickly and form strong relationships.

Children know exactly where to find all of their favourite toys and resources. Equally, they are curious to explore anything new or different that adults provide for them. For example, babies thoroughly enjoy exploring the paint. Some copy staff as they cover their hands with paint, while others are happy to explore the paintbrushes. All children have many opportunities to encounter number and shape activities in the learning environment. Toddlers recognise shapes and patterns while they are modelling with play dough. Older children can count how many more jigsaw pieces they need, compare patterns and use appropriate language to describe movement and position. In the home area, children work out how to chop up real vegetables and know they have to share the shopping bags and purses. This helps to build their social and problem-solving skills.

Children develop good levels of independence from a young age. Staff encourage them to make choices about their play and to help with some of the routine tasks, such as clearing up before lunch and serving their own meal.

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

• There has been a strong emphasis on curriculum development following the previous inspection. Leaders have carefully chosen what they want children to learn, right from the start until they leave nursery. Staff have a well-informed understanding of the curriculum. They use this guidance, alongside their in-depth knowledge of child development, to provide children with learning activities suited to their needs, development and interests.
• Staff are skilled in developing children's communication and language skills. They seize opportunities to listen and talk with children, modelling language and encouraging children's communication. Stories and rhymes are a regular feature of the nursery day. Children share books while working on their activities. They hear and learn new vocabulary, modelled and encouraged by staff. Children and parents make use of the lending library so that they can share stories together at home and develop a love of reading.
• Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) have their needs identified accurately and early. The nursery communicates effectively with parents and external organisations to ensure that children receive the support that they need to do well. As a result, children with SEND achieve well.
• Staff help children to learn about feelings and emotions. They promote kind and caring behaviour. This supports children to learn how to play together.
• Consequently, behaviour is usually positive, and children play cooperatively. If they do 'fall out', most staff use these situations to discuss how this upsets others. However, very occasionally, staff do not weave through agreed strategies for those children who need additional support.
• Babies benefit from being cared for by staff who know them really well. They enjoy comforting hugs when needed and are well supported to move safely around the baby room, accessing an interesting selection of age-appropriate toys and resources. Staff use effective strategies to enhance babies' language skills and help them to begin using words to communicate.
• Children enjoy making use of the nursery garden, where they manoeuvre up and down the slopes. They develop good physical skills using the play equipment, enabling them to confidently climb, balance and explore. Children are adept at taking managed risks as part of their outdoor learning. For example, staff model how to balance on the logs. They give encouragement and hold children's hands until they feel able to tackle this themselves. This helps children to build their self-confidence and resilience.
• Staff morale is high. They speak highly of leaders and the support they receive through effective supervision and coaching. Leaders support staff effectively to ensure their well-being. Recognition for their hard work, such as the 'employee of the month' initiative, helps all staff to feel valued. Staff are proud to work at the setting.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support staff so they are clear about when to use the agreed behavioural strategies that help children to regulate their own behaviour.