Old School Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children thrive in this exceptionally inclusive environment. They demonstrate that they feel extremely safe and cared for by fully engaging with all activities, adults and their peers. Huge smiles, squeals of glee and shouts of wonder can be seen and heard from children throughout the day. Staff support children to develop an excellent understanding of rules and boundaries. Children show extremely high levels of self-regulation and build strong relationships. For example, all children share resources, have superb manners and behave exceptionally well.

Children learn new vocabulary through sharply focused interactions planned by staff. For example, as children make bread, staff introduce words, such as 'rise, knead and 'yeast'. Children develop a love of reading through staff's inspiring and engaging storytelling and skilled use of props. Children rub their hands together in anticipation of another story. Children have extremely good self-esteem and confidence. Staff offer praise and encourage children skilfully. Children show extremely high levels of concentration and mathematical knowledge. For example, during a group activity, all children are engaged and use binoculars they have made to look for numbers in the rainforest role-play area. Children excitedly read and order numbers together.

All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and children who speak English as an additional language, make rapid progress from their starting points. They are extremely well prepared for their next stage in learning, such as school.

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

• Staff provide an ambitious curriculum that keeps children wonderfully engaged and enthusiastic in their play. For instance, staff expertly extend children's interest in a storybook about flowers in the Amazon rainforest. They encourage children to make their own perfumes using pipettes, coloured water, petals and scents. Interactions with children are of a consistently high quality. As a result, children make exemplary progress in all areas.
• The leadership and management are exceptional. Staff receive incredible support. Leaders promote a work-life balance and have invested in staff's well-being following the COVID-19 pandemic. For example, they have a dedicated well-being staff member to support staff, if needed. Leaders expertly tailor training to meet the needs of children. Staff speak passionately about training they have undertaken and how they have used this to improve their practice.
• Children flourish in their communication and language skills and they are constantly introduced to new vocabulary. For example, children understand and use the word 'germination' in their play. Older children practise their language skills during imaginative play. For example, they act out and narrate made-up stories about canoeing down the Amazon river.
• Children learn all about eating healthy and nutritious food. They tell visitors about the vegetables they have grown at the nursery. Children have the opportunity to help chop vegetables up ready for their mealtimes.
• Children display high levels of involvement in exploring outdoors. They move confidently in the outdoor sandpit, exploring a vast range of opportunities. Children manage risks exceptionally well. They help each other to look for dangers, explaining that they need to look on the ground before jumping down, so they do not 'squash' their friends.
• Children have wonderful opportunities to learn about the diverse world they live in. Staff help children to learn about festivals and events that are important to them and their friends. Staff learn key words in children's home language as they play games and sing songs together. Parents come in to speak with the children about different cultures and festivals, including weddings. Children gain an excellent understanding of the differences and similarities in people's ideas and beliefs.
• Staff offer exceptional support for children with SEND. Children with SEND receive high-quality intervention and benefit from working in small groups and one-to-one sessions, such as in the dedicated sensory and physical playrooms.
• Staff work hard to create strong partnerships between home and nursery. Parents receive regular updates about their children's progress, including through an online learning portal. Parents are highly complimentary about the quality of care their children receive. They comment about the enriching and nurturing experiences available for their children as well as the attention to detail by staff when sharing information.