Old School House Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The dedicated management team is passionate about providing high-quality care and education for all children. Staff are caring and nurturing. They have built up close relationships with children. Children are happy and settled. Babies happily explore the spacious rooms. They are engrossed as staff help them pour sand into funnels. Babies show great concentration as they use toy hammers to tap wooden blocks into their holders. Children play harmoniously in the outdoor area. They practise their hand-to-eye coordination as they roll balls to each other. Children giggle with glee as they practise throwing and catching balls with a partner.

Staff have high expectations of children. They are positive role models. Staff encourage children to use good manners and to share the toys. Children are praised with thumbs up and high fives. This helps to raise their self-esteem. Children cuddle up to staff when they need reassurance. They demonstrate that they feel safe and secure here. Children's behaviour is very good. Staff plan exciting activities that motivate children. This helps children gain a thirst for learning from an early age. Older children thoroughly enjoy singing the days of the week in Spanish. They excitedly remember key words that they have learned in Ukrainian.

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

• Children access a broad and balanced curriculum which builds on what they already know and can do. The key-person system is effective. Staff have a good knowledge of their key children and how to support their learning and development. They plan appropriate next steps and share them regularly with parents. As a result, all children make good progress in the seven areas of learning and development.
• Staff provide opportunities to promote children's growing independence. Babies crawl to toys that they choose to play with. Toddlers feed themselves using cutlery at lunchtime. Older children pour their own drinks at the 'hydration station' when they become thirsty. These opportunities help to prepare children for the next stage in their learning.
• Arrangements are in place to supervise staff working with children. These have been effective in supporting staff well-being. However, leaders do not always ensure that all staff receive clear targets to help them improve their quality of teaching.
• Parents are complimentary about the nursery. They are happy with the care and education their children receive. Staff have recently introduced the 'family app' to parents. This provides parents with a detailed account of children's day. Staff work in partnership with parents to suggest ways they can support their children's communication and language at home. This helps to provide consistency in children's care and learning.
• Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are supported very well. Additional funding is carefully used to support children's individual needs. The special educational needs coordinator knows how to make timely referrals to outside agencies. She works collaboratively with a range of professionals. This helps to ensure that all children receive the right support.
• The manager invites visitors such as firefighters and road safety officers to the nursery to teach children more about road and fire safety. Staff supervise children well when they use the internet in the nursery. However, staff have not yet considered how to teach children about keeping safe when using the internet at home.
• Communication and language are promoted well. The manager utilises a screening tool to assess children's communication and language skills throughout their time at the setting. This helps staff to swiftly identify any emerging needs and provide intervention at the earliest opportunity.
• Staff are very caring and attentive. They respond quickly when toddlers are tired, upset or hungry. They are on hand to provide cuddles and reassurance. This ensures that children's needs are met.
• Staff support children's communication skills well. There is a strong focus on sharing books throughout the nursery. Babies learn how to turn pages. Toddlers join in with repeated phrases in books. Staff read books enthusiastically to children and help to bring the books to life. This helps children gain a love of reading from an early age.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• develop the arrangements for the supervision of staff further to identify clear targets that support them to enhance their teaching skills to the highest level
• explore ways to help children to develop an understanding of how to keep safe when using the internet at home.