OLD FELIXSTOWE NURSERY

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children arrive happy and settle quickly at the welcoming pre-school. They make independent play choices from a broad range of well-presented and interesting activities, showing high levels of engagement. Children benefit from the warm, friendly and calm atmosphere at the pre-school. They chat and laugh with staff and each other as they play and learn. Children are polite, confident and well behaved. They form friendships and are kind and supportive. For example, they say 'good shot!' when their friends successfully throw bean bags into a tyre.

Children are curious and independent learners. For instance, they persevere as they search for insects and bugs in the pre-school garden and excitedly show them to staff and visitors. Children are good communicators and confidently tell visitors that 'worms bury themselves under the mud and like to munch on leaves'.

Children gain good physical skills. For example, outside, they build on their core strength and coordination skills as they climb up the ladder on the slide and balance to walk across crates. They delight in the opportunity to express themselves as they vigorously use wooden spoons to bang on metal drums. Children show good control as they use their hands and tools to manipulate play dough, and use scissors to make snips in paper. This helps to develop the small muscles in their hands and fingers in preparation for early writing skills.

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

• The dedicated manager and enthusiastic staff work closely as a team. They are committed to providing each child with the best possible care and learning experiences. Staff work closely with families to make sure that they know them well and understand about children's home lives. They share information and readily provide support and advice.
• The manager and staff hold regular meetings to plan and develop the curriculum to help support children's learning. They plan a broad range of learning opportunities to follow children's interests, support their individual needs and prepare them for school. Staff identify and focus support for children's next steps in learning and share this information with parents.
• Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are supported well. The knowledgeable special educational needs coordinator is confident in her role. She works effectively with parents, staff, and other external professionals to ensure that children get the help they need. Individual plans are swiftly put in place to incisively support children's ongoing care and progression in their development. This enables children with additional needs to reach the best outcomes.
• Staff support children's language development well. They encourage children to engage in back-and-forth conversations. They show a genuine interest in what children have to say and encourage them to talk about their own experiences. Staff model language and introduce new words. Children enjoy listening to stories and develop an interest in books. They select books independently and concentrate as they sit quietly, turning the pages and looking intently at the pictures.
• Mealtimes are sociable occasions where children enjoy eating and chatting to staff and each other. Staff support children's independence well and promote good table manners. At snack time, children make their own choices from a range of healthy options. They show good control as they pour their own drinks and skilfully use knives to cut up their own fruit. Staff encourage and praise children, promoting children's confidence and self-esteem.
• Staff are committed to improving their knowledge and skills to benefit children in their care. They comment that the manager considers their well-being and they feel well supported. The manager conducts regular supervision meetings with staff and arranges regular training opportunities. However, she does not yet consistently provide staff with incisive feedback to ensure that they understand how to improve their knowledge and skills to raise the already good quality of teaching even higher.
• Parents are full of praise for the pre-school. They comment that staff are always happy and friendly. They say that staff share regular information about activities and their children's learning through an online system and discussions. Parents particularly praise the support that staff provide for children's individual needs.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• extend the existing arrangement for the monitoring of staff performance, to provide staff with incisive feedback and support to raise the good quality of teaching even higher.