Our Monkey Club C.I.C.

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children thrive at this friendly and vibrant nursery. Staff place a high priority on children's emotional support and well-being. This begins with a home visit and gradual settling-in sessions for new children. Staff are warm, friendly and kind to children. They know children extremely well and adapt their practice and communication to promote children's individual learning and happiness.

Staff are skilled at placing children at the heart of all they do. Children develop independence from a very young age. The youngest children drink from cups and use cutlery at mealtimes with skill. Older children select their own drinks, meals and snacks and wash up the dishes when they have finished.

Learning is very child-centred, with children choosing activities freely. Staff join in readily with children's play, enhancing and extending learning through purposeful interactions. They recognise that most children prefer to play outdoors and plan each day to facilitate this. Children thoroughly enjoy their time playing with the wealth of activities available outside. They carefully transport jugs of water to add to the sand pit. Staff talk to children about the effect the water has on the sand. As children add water, they comment about it disappearing and making bubbles. Children are imaginative in the mud kitchen area. They pretend to make meals and cups of tea for their friends and visitors. Children play together cooperatively and behave very well.

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

• A strong and passionate leadership team underpins the good practice at this nursery. Staff work hard to ensure children are safe and happy, and they establish strong foundations on which to build their future learning. Staff benefit from ongoing support and training to develop their practice. Overall, teaching is good, with some strong practice. Leaders recognise that further professional development opportunities for staff will contribute to more consistent high-quality teaching.
• Staff carry out regular observations and assessments of children's learning. As a result, they have a good understanding about what children already know and can do, and what they need to learn next. Staff then use planning, interactions and children's chosen play to focus on their next steps in learning. Children make good progress.
• Children develop strong physical skills. Staff adapt spaces for babies to ensure they can pull themselves up, coast around equipment and take their first steps. Young children make marks with chalks outside to enhance their later writing skills. Older children move tyres and crates to build and balance on. Staff join children enthusiastically as they sing, dance and move their bodies along to action songs.
• Staff use a variety of methods to promote children's communication and language skills. They use simple sign language and repeat simple words and phrases. Children choose books and favourite stories and sit with staff who read to them. Staff narrate what they or children are doing and model simple mathematical language as children play with sand or water.
• Staff provide effective support for children who have special educational needs and/or disabilities. Staff work well with other professionals and agencies involved in children's care. They identify any gaps or delays in learning and put targeted plans in place to help children to make good progress from their individual starting points.
• Children know what is expected of them. Staff offer gentle reminders and support. Children wait patiently for their turn on the slide or favourite wheeled toy. Children happily hand toys to their friends when they have finished playing with them.
• Staff are keen to promote children's good health. Children benefit from plenty of fresh air and physical exercise. Staff provide them with a variety of healthy meals and snacks. During lunchtime, children are offered at least five different options of fruit and vegetables.
• Parents benefit from regular updates about their child's time at nursery. Staff give feedback at the end of every session. They arrange meetings with parents and share further learning information electronically. There is scope to develop partnership working with parents further, to promote a more collaborative approach to children's care and learning.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• consider how to work in closer partnership with parents to promote children's learning further
• continue to focus the professional development of staff on raising the quality of teaching to a consistently higher level.