Oakhill Community Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children arrive happy and eager to start their day at this friendly nursery. Staff plan individualised settling-in procedures for new starters. This allows children to begin to become familiar with the nursery environment and their key person. Staff are knowledgeable and provide practical and emotional support to parents and children. This helps to build trusting bonds with the staff and children to feel safe and secure.

Staff place a strong focus on children's communication and language development. They narrate their actions and repeat key words and phrases to children. For example, while young children engage in imaginative play, pretending to be on an aeroplane, staff use simple words such as 'up' and 'down'. Children excitedly join in with the words and actions as they sing songs. Staff also support older children by introducing new vocabulary and discussing the importance of safety measures, such as wearing a seatbelt. This approach helps children become confident communicators. Staff have high expectations of children's behaviour. They are positive role models. Staff gently remind children to use their manners and give them time to negotiate sharing resources. This helps children to manage their behaviour and develop kind friendships. Children's behaviour is good; they treat each other with consideration and respect.

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

• The manager is enthusiastic and dedicated to her role. Staff know the stages of development that children are at. Children engage in a good range of activities and learning opportunities throughout the day. They make good progress from their starting points.
• Children have access to a large, well-equipped outdoor area, providing them with numerous opportunities to practise their physical skills. For instance, children confidently ride bicycles and scooters and have plenty of space to run freely. They challenge themselves by jumping on stepping-stone tyres. Children also learn about wildlife as they safely observe and discuss bugs and minibeasts with the staff.
• Parents speak highly of the nursery and appreciate the friendly staff team. Staff keep parents well informed on a day-to-day basis, providing regular updates about children's activities and care routines. They also offer useful resources, such as a lending library and activity packs, to help parents continue their children's learning at home.
• Staff work very well together as part of a team to support children's behaviour. They use strategies that are individual to the child. Staff use advice and support from professionals to plan specific support for children. They quickly identify children who struggle with their emotions and offer reassuring support. Children respond well and settle back into their chosen play.
• The nursery is inclusive, and staff support all children effectively. For example, they recently welcomed many new families from other countries. Staff were deployed well to meet children's needs and help them to adjust to new routines as swiftly as possible. Staff also used this opportunity successfully to help children to learn about differences between themselves and others.
• Children learn the importance of good oral health. Staff teach children to be independent and confident. For instance, children are prompted to wash their hands before mealtimes and learn to use cutlery to feed themselves.
• The experienced manager has a good understanding of curriculum priorities, clearly outlining what staff want children to know and learn. Overall, there is a good focus on adapting teaching to meet children's individual needs, including children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. However, variations in staff's confidence affect the success with which they achieve the intent for activities. Despite this, children develop a good range of skills in readiness for their future learning.
• Newly recruited staff benefit from an induction that helps them understand their responsibilities. Overall, the manager supports staff well in developing their teaching skills by providing supervision and facilitating training to gain recognised qualifications. However, some newer staff are at the beginning of their journey in childcare and require further support to ensure consistently high-quality interactions across all age groups.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support staff to have a clearer understanding of the curriculum intent so that their teaching consistently focuses on what they want children to learn
• improve the monitoring of staff practice, and provide additional training and support where needed, to ensure that the quality of teaching is consistent and all children benefit from high-quality learning experiences.