Orchard House Nursery School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The knowledgeable manager and her dedicated staff team create a warm and welcoming environment where each child is highly valued. Children demonstrate that they feel happy, safe and secure. They develop close bonds with the staff and with their friends, which contributes positively to their emotional well-being. Staff have high expectations for children and know them well. Key relationships between staff and babies are particularly strong and nurturing. Staff recognise the importance of flexible settling-in sessions that focus on developing strong attachments. This means that children are keen to attend nursery and ready to learn.

Children demonstrate positive attitudes to learning. A robust cycle of observation and assessment supports staff to develop activities that focus on children's interests, topics and themes and the skills children need to learn next. Children build on what they already know and have opportunities to recall and consolidate their learning.

Children behave well and are kind and considerate. 'Special helpers' relish the responsibility of setting the table at mealtimes and preparing activities. Children take turns and share during play and are well-mannered. Staff are positive role models for children. They set good examples and provide clear explanations to support children's understanding of positive behaviour. They gently remind children about the rules of the nursery, such as using 'listening ears' and 'kind hands'. This helps children to understand right from wrong.

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

• Leaders and staff carefully consider where they can improve and show great determination to achieve the highest possible standards. They are incredibly passionate about supporting children to make the best possible progress. Self-evaluation is robust and purposeful. This ensures positive outcomes for children.
• Overall, children benefit from an interesting and well-balanced curriculum. The manager confidently articulates what she wants children to learn during their time at the nursery. However, staff are less clear about the overarching curriculum intent. This means that, occasionally, their teaching is not focused precisely on what they want children to learn.
• Leaders have correctly identified the need to focus on communication and language development for all children. Overall, this is promoted well. Children sing along to familiar nursery rhymes and listen to staff when spoken to. They are given time to share their thoughts and ideas and have lots of opportunities to engage in conversations. However, staff do not consistently model the correct pronunciation of vocabulary to promote children's speech and language further.
• Staff support children to learn about the importance of leading a healthy lifestyle. Children benefit from home-cooked, nutritious foods, and any allergies or food preferences are competently catered for. Children develop impressive self-care skills as they serve themselves vegetables. Staff discuss with children the effects that food has on their bodies. This supports children to develop essential knowledge for the future.
• Staff promote children's individual needs well. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are supported effectively. Knowledgeable staff make timely referrals to other professionals, and staff tailor activities according to children's age and stage of development. Children who speak English as an additional language are supported with visual timetables and key words in their home language. This helps to ensure that all children make the progress that they are capable of.
• Staff plan activities for children to develop fine motor skills in readiness for writing. For example, children concentrate intently as they roll and knead dough. They are encouraged to use scissors to snip the dough and, in turn, develop their hand-eye coordination. Children thread pasta shapes onto string and staff introduce simple mathematical concepts. Children concentrate intently and show perseverance and determination.
• Staff are supported to develop professionally through effective support and supervision sessions. The manager undertakes observations of staff to help them to identify development points and set targets. Staff feel well supported in their roles and benefit from the many training opportunities offered to them. This has a positive impact on the care and education that children receive.
• A true strength of the nursery is the partnerships with parents and carers. Parents' comments regarding their children's experiences in the nursery are extremely positive. They value the information staff share with them about their child's day and the ideas for learning they can provide at home.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• build on staff's knowledge of the curriculum intent so they are clear about the skills and knowledge they want children to gain during their time at nursery
• support staff to consistently model the correct pronunciation of vocabulary, to promote children's communication and language skills to the highest level.