Osterley Park Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children happily enter the nursery. They settle quickly and receive positive interactions from caring staff. Children wave goodbye to their parents and show excitement as they join their friends. Babies are content and feel safe. They confidently explore their surroundings with staff who know them well.

Children experience an exciting curriculum. Staff carefully plan and consider children's interests and individual needs. Children are happy to take part in a range of interesting activities, indoors and outside. Staff have high expectations for children, and help them to learn new skills and knowledge. They are committed to providing high-quality learning opportunities outdoors that foster children's curiosity, healthy habits and a love for nature. Children show delight when planting seeds, vegetables and flower bulbs. They comment on how they are going to nurture them, so that they grow.

Overall, children develop good communication skills. Children are polite, well mannered and are sociable. They negotiate with each other, and learn how to cooperatively take turns and share resources. Children of all ages learn about emotions and feelings, such as through stories and rhymes. They are supported to express themselves in an appropriate way.

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

• Managers regularly reflect on practice and evaluate the nursery to develop and improve children's experiences. The manager monitors staff's practice well. She has a clear and well-thought-out plan for development across the nursery. Managers understand the setting's strengths and areas that it needs to improve. All staff have access to training to build on their teaching skills.
• Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are very well supported. Staff have plans in place for children who require additional support to ensure that they make progress in their learning. However, staff do not provide children who speak English as an additional language with consistent opportunities to hear their home language when they play.
• Staff have effective partnerships with parents and know children well. They share information with parents about their children's development. Staff support families to encourage their children's learning at home.
• Overall, children of all ages communicate well. Staff model age-appropriate language to children. Children show delight in communicating with each other. For example, older children discuss what a sunflower seed looks like. They recall events from last year and share problem-solving ideas about how tall their sunflower will grow.
• Staff know what they want children to learn. Children, including those with
• SEND, make good progress from their starting points in learning. However, staff plan some experiences for younger children which do not stretch and challenge their learning further.
• Children have opportunities to develop their early independence skills. They carefully choose which activities they will take part in during the day. Children show an age-appropriate responsibility of helping prepare the table at mealtimes and wash up after themselves after they have eaten.
• Children demonstrate positive attitudes. They are highly motivated and eager to join in with activities. Children show mutual respect to each other. For example, they say please and thank you, and offer toys to their friends.
• Staff are confident and share meaningful conversations with children to build on their learning. They use mealtimes to reflect on the differences between each other. For example, older children discuss the differences between different hairstyles. Babies and toddlers watch excitedly as snacks are prepared in front of them. They are encouraged to use new words to describe what they are eating.
• Children of all ages show a keen interest in stories and songs. Staff develop children's attention and recall, such as through a story and song of the week. This helps children to build on their early literacy skills.
• Children behave very well. Staff support children to manage their own feelings and behaviours, and teach them how to relate to others. They take appropriate action to assist children who require support to manage their emotions effectively.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• extend opportunities for children who speak English as an additional language to use their home language when they play
• strengthen staff's skills in enhancing activities to stretch and challenge children's learning further.