Our Lady's Prep School And Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children receive a warm welcome on arrival from the kind and nurturing staff, who know them well. They are happy and quickly settle in. Children form strong bonds with their key person and all the staff who support them. Babies receive plenty of cuddles and individual care, which helps them to become confident within the nursery environment. They have fun exploring sensory resources, such as pasta, water and mud. Toddlers play cooperatively together and develop shared themes in their imaginative play. Older children show good concentration and motivation as they carefully use scissors to cut around the pictures they have made. Children show that they are extremely proud of their achievements.

There is a strong focus on supporting children's emotional health following the pandemic. Children thoroughly enjoy stories that help them name their emotions and express how they feel. They do this with confidence and show resilience. Overall, children behave well and develop a positive attitude to learning. They are kind and work together to resolve conflict. Children show high levels of independence and are keen to do things for themselves. They are motivated to help when it is time to tidy up before mealtimes. Children talk confidently to visitors and are keen to show them around their nursery. They enthusiastically describe the 'jewels' they have threaded onto strings to make necklaces. Children are well prepared for their next stage of their learning.

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

• The provider has a clear and aspirational vision for the nursery. He works closely with the manager to continually reflect on the service provided to all children. Leaders and managers have a strong desire to continue to fully embed new teaching methods and education of the highest quality throughout the nursery. Staff attend regular training, supervision sessions and appraisal meetings. That said, leaders have not yet fully embedded a highly effective programme of professional development, to help raise all staff's practice to the highest level.
• Staff support children's learning well and, overall, teaching is good. They warmly praise and encourage children by using comments such as 'you can do it!', which motivates them further. Most staff introduce, model and repeat the correct use of words. They ask children questions and listen to what they have to say. However, at times, less-experienced staff are not quick to notice when some younger children would benefit from more adult interaction, to build on their emerging speaking skills.
• Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities receive excellent support. The special educational needs and disability coordinator quickly identifies gaps in children's learning and implements strategies swiftly to support individual needs. They access external services, such as speech and language support and other health professionals, to initiate targeted support. This helps to narrow any gaps in children's development.
• Staff enthusiastically use opportunities and activities to increase children's understanding of mathematical development. This is threaded throughout all aspects of learning. For example, older children show an understanding of how to measure volume and length. They learn about number shapes. Children show immense pride as they master early mathematical skills and confidently count, subtract and predict what comes next.
• Staff promote children's physical development very well. They focus on supporting children's large-muscle development through activities, such as weekly dance, swimming, sport and forest school sessions. Children enjoy taking part in these lessons and show good coordination as they learn new movements. They are provided with healthy, nutritious meals and have access to a large outdoor area. Food preferences and dietary needs are fully implemented. Staff regularly check children's well-being and flexibly schedule sleep times into the daily routines.
• Parents speak extremely highly of the setting and its leadership. They commend the communication they receive and feel completely involved in their child's learning journey. Parents compliment the staff on the support they offered to families throughout COVID-19. This support stretched beyond the children, and parents appreciated the time the staff took to support them. Parents talk about how their children are eager to attend and that they are making good progress with their learning and development.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• continue to embed and refine the programme of professional development, to raise the quality of teaching to a consistently high level
• support less-experienced staff to recognise when children would benefit from more adult interactions to extend and encourage their early speaking skills.