Ollie Owl Amersham

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are warmly welcomed by happy and positive staff. They are quick to settle and engage in the range of many activities planned for them. They are happy and confident and show joy when they greet their friends.

Children's communication and language are promoted well. Staff plan a range of activities based around favourite books that support the development of new vocabulary. Children particularly enjoy craft activities. They explore many textures and use these to retell parts of the story they have been reading with staff. Staff provide lots of language and encouragement to help children engage and extend their communication and language skills.

Staff encourage and support children's physical skills. For example, they provide large apparatus in the garden that helps children explore and manage their bodies in balancing and climbing. Staff are close by to provide the help children need to build confidence and develop their resilience to keep trying.

Staff model positive attitudes and caring interactions with children. This helps children to know what is expected of them and supports their personal, social and emotional development. Children behave well and engage for periods of time at their chosen play. They show care and kindness to their friends and offer help and encouragement to others.

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

• Leaders and staff have developed a curriculum that is varied and sequenced to support children in their next steps of learning. Staff observe and assess children's progress frequently and this helps identify any gaps in learning. They use this information to develop and plan targeted support to ensure all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, make the progress they are capable of.
• Staff plan and effectively arrange the learning environment to create an inviting and interesting space that engages children in play. Staff have a clear vision of what they want children to learn and provide the teaching to support children's progress. For example, staff provide meaningful interactions that help children, particularly the youngest, to feel secure and confident to explore and engage in activities. However, occasionally, some activities are less well planned to precisely match children's stage of development. This means that, on occasion, all children do not completely benefit from the intended learning.
• Pre-school children are prepared well for the next stage of their education. Staff provide children with opportunities to build confidence and engage in developing independence. For example, staff provide many opportunities to help children develop their skills in managing their own personal care routines, such as taking on their shoes and socks, finding their belongings and understanding the importance of caring for others. This helps them build positive relationships with their peers.
• Staff plan a variety of outings to enhance children's understanding of the local community and the wider world. For example, children enjoy taking a bus trip where staff help them learn to pay for and receive a bus ticket for the journey. Additionally, they visit local supermarkets to purchase food to take back to nursery and use for the mealtimes.
• Staff set clear expectations for behaviour and are positive role models. This supports children to behave well. They are polite and kind to their friends and the adults caring for them.
• Children have strong communication and language skills. They are articulate and enjoy engaging in conversation. Staff listen and model conversation with children, helping them learn to listen to each other and take turns in what they want to say and when. Children speak positively about their time at nursery and the activities they enjoy.
• Staff are supported well and positively comment on the support and coaching they receive from managers. Managers frequently spend time with staff and children, modelling practice to enhance and support staff professional development. This helps create a provision that continually improves.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• strengthen activity planning to more precisely consider the age and stage of all of the children taking part.