Orchard House Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are eager to come into this friendly, welcoming setting. They make their own choices about what they will play with from the wide range of resources available to them. Children play happily with their friends and join in enthusiastically with activities. A well-established key-person system helps staff to form strong bonds with children from the outset. Children benefit from warm, trusting relationships and a nurturing environment.

Staff have high expectations for children's behaviour. Children behave very well. They learn the importance of respect in ways that are appropriate to their age and stage of development, such as using 'kind hands' and 'kind words'. Children are praised and rewarded for their achievements and helpful actions. For example, they are given a medal to wear when they have helped to wash up after breakfast. This helps to develop children's independence and boosts their self-esteem.

Staff work in partnership with parents and other professionals to meet the needs of all children. This includes support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who speak English as an additional language. All children receive the help and support they need to make progress from their starting points.

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

• Overall, leaders plan an ambitious curriculum which is designed to give children a wealth of experiences that build on what they already know and can do. Children benefit from a wide variety of resources in the indoor and outdoor environments. However, while there are a range of good learning experiences, staff do not consistently plan enough opportunities to extend children's early mathematical development.
• Staff know the children very well and make good use of assessment to identify children's next steps for learning. However, staff do not always act on these swiftly or identify immediate opportunities that will support children's progress. For example, staff do not support children's next steps in mathematics through opportunities, such as counting the number of bricks in a tower or the number of children in a group. This does not enable children to make rapid progress.
• Books are an integral part of life at this setting. Children develop a real love of books and stories. They listen intently to stories read by staff. Children talk about the pictures and become involved with stories. For example, they repeat familiar phrases and say what they think will happen next. Children learn new vocabulary and begin to understand that print carries meaning.
• Staff make good use of the outdoor space to ensure all children spend time outdoors. Staff provide equipment appropriate to the ages of the children. For example, babies learn to roll balls and older children enjoy building obstacle courses. These activities help children to develop their physical skills. Children also grow and eat produce such as potatoes, tomatoes and strawberries.
• Children learn that there are high expectations for good behaviour. Older children show that they understand the expectations for behaviour. For example, they take turns when playing and help each other to make things. They say things like, 'Shall I help you?' All children behave very well.
• Children learn about leading a healthy lifestyle. Staff encourage children to go outside, eat healthy meals and follow good hygiene routines, such as washing their hands before mealtimes.
• The manager evaluates the provision and has made some significant changes to improve the way parents are helped to support their child's learning at home. Although the manager supports staff and ensures they get the training and development they need to deliver high-quality care, monitoring of staff practice does not yet ensure consistently high levels of teaching. The manager has accurately identified this.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• consider ways to enhance the already broad curriculum so that there are increased opportunities for children to explore and develop their early mathematical knowledge and skills, enabling them to make further progress in their learning
• strengthen the systems for monitoring staff practice so that they are further supported to provide children with consistently high levels of teaching.