Once Upon A Time Daycare

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are happy and engaged in this welcoming nursery. Babies and children make a smooth start to their learning experiences. They form strong bonds with the staff who care for them. Staff work closely with parents and carers to thoroughly understand children's interests, needs and routines. This contributes to the good progress children make in all areas of their development. Staff have high expectations and strongly support children to achieve their potential.

Children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), feel safe and well cared for. They learn to look after themselves and to assess the risks in their play. For example, children understand how to safely climb stairs, and to jump and roll from the heights of the nursery's soft-play castle. Children listen to instructions well. They behave well and are polite and friendly to their friends and those who care for them.

Children enjoy learning. They are inquisitive and keen to achieve. For example, babies enthusiastically crawl or pull themselves on their tummies to reach the toys of their choice. Children work together to create new ways to place crates and wooden planks to make their own obstacle trails.

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

• The managers provide strong leadership for staff. They are ambitious to achieve high standards for the nursery. The managers have built a close, well-qualified and collaborative team of staff. They give staff a clear direction for improvement, based on well-researched initiatives and consultation with staff, parents and children. Staff are prepared well to take on senior roles within the nursery, such as becoming room leaders and special educational needs coordinator. They access good levels of training, including higher education, and further guidance to help them fulfil their roles.
• Staff plan carefully for children's development, overall. They use the information gathered from parents to help them plan for children's future learning. Staff engage children through a wide range of exciting opportunities. However, occasionally, staff are not clear enough about what they expect children to learn and over complicate the activity. For example, sometimes, staff introduce too many new words or too much information.
• Overall, staff promote children's early communication skills well. They carefully plan to develop children's speech and vocabulary. For example, staff introduce babies to many sensory experiences, indoors and outside, such as foam, mud and ice. Staff emphasise the different sounds that the materials make and use sounds that babies have heard before. Children love to listen to stories and act out tales using puppets. Staff work closely with other professionals to provide well-targeted support to help children with SEND to develop their communication skills.
• Staff support children's well-being. They teach children about the importance of following healthy lifestyles. For instance, staff prepare nourishing meals and snacks for children. Children join in with planting and growing their own herbs and vegetables in the nursery allotment. They enjoy exploring the scent and texture of the different herbs and using them in cooking activities. Staff support children's toilet training and hygiene awareness, such as washing their hands thoroughly and the importance of cleaning their teeth.
• Staff promote children's personal development and good behaviour well. They help babies play actively, and rest and sleep peacefully. Staff consistently speak in calm and gentle ways to children. They support older children to keep a clean and safe environment. Children learn to tidy up and to take care of their toys and other resources.
• Parents fully recommend the nursery. They appreciate the close contact and regular communication that they receive, particularly throughout the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic. Parents welcome how happy and eager to learn their children are. They welcome the good guidance that staff provide and the promptness of their response to any comments they may have. Parents feel that their children are well prepared for their future learning.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support staff to ensure they are clear about what they want children to learn and do not over complicate activities.