Old MacDonalds Children's Day Nursery Ltd

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children take pleasure from the nursery setting, playing and exploring in the extensive outside area. They delight in climbing on the hay bales and searching for the moon in the sky. Children experience collecting eggs from the chickens on the farm and fruit from the trees. The nursery cook then uses the ingredients to prepare fresh and nutritious meals for children. Children appear confident learners. They celebrate their achievements and those of their peers. For example, they recall their learning when looking through extensive photos of the children taking part in activities and experiences in nursery and in the local community. Parents are welcomed and involved. Activities to do at home with their children are shared by the nursery, for example to collect leaves and create a textured collage. The setting has close links with the local community. Driffield food bank and a shoebox appeal are supported by families who use the nursery.

Staff have high expectations for all children who attend the nursery. They are proactive in giving all children the best possible start to their early education. Children behave well, respecting and valuing each other. For instance, they share resources and help each other to put on their coats. Staff are valued and respected for all they do. Leaders arrange for flowers to be delivered to acknowledge both staff and children's achievements.

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

• The manager understands what she wants children to learn from their different starting points, such as focusing on children's sensory development. However, not all practitioners are clear and focused on what children need to learn. For instance, the language and interactions of staff do not consistently follow the setting's curriculum, such as during creative play sessions.
• Children develop good mathematical skills. An example of this is that they show an interest in helping to measure the height of their pretend spaceship.
• Children demonstrate good social skills and show respect for others. They wait for the ruler and help their friend by holding it in place. Children are keen to join in and cooperate with each other and have a positive attitude to their play and learning. Children are fascinated with painting, using leaves as well as with the paintbrush. They examine the marks they have made with their fingers. This helps to promote children's early writing skills.
• All children have opportunity to play indoors and outdoors. Children are physically active in their play. They have space to run and play hide and seek with their friends and staff.
• An effective key-person system helps children form secure attachments and promotes their well-being. Relationships between practitioners and babies are sensitive and responsive through practitioners knowing the children and parents well. Staff are able to talk with babies about what they have done with their families through photos shared. These practices promote and support children's emotional security.
• Children are independent learners and are able to make choices through their play. Practitioners encourage children to put on their own outdoor clothing, including wellington boots and wet-weather suits. However, this is not consistent during care routines of the day, including mealtimes.
• The provider gives children a rich set of experiences through learning the French language and practising yoga regularly. This promotes an understanding of, and respect for, people and communities beyond their own.
• The manager has systems in place for the supervision of the practitioners. She knows the children and spends time with both children and practitioners. Practice builds and improves over time, including for those who are new or newly qualified. This is through induction, team meetings and training. One practitioner planned to attend training to support anxieties in children, identified as pertinent after the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Practitioners use assessment well to check what children know and can do. They know to monitor learning and to work in partnership with parents to ensure children progress towards their next stage of learning. The setting is aware of other professionals and programmes in the local community who can support the children when needed. The special educational needs coordinator has an accurate overview of children's individual learning needs.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• develop staff's knowledge of the curriculum intent and implementation to further improve their practice
• review ways to extend children's independence even further, particularly during care routines of the day, including mealtimes.