Paint Pots

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children of all ages and abilities are confident, settled and happy in this stimulating and motivating setting. Staff create a well-organised and stimulating environment, where children flourish and grow. Children build affectionate and caring bonds with staff, who are responsive to their needs. Children settle quickly and engage with favoured activities. They confidently seek interactions with staff and invite them into their play. Staff encourage children to make simple choices, such as voting for which book they would like staff to read. This helps children to learn about fairness. Children behave well. There is a very positive culture of care, kindness and respect throughout the setting. Children look after their environment, for example they help tidy up activities after play and set the table for lunch.

Children have a positive attitude to learning. They make good progress at this nursery. Staff provide a broad range of fun activities that match children's current interests and experiences from home. Children are physically active in their play, both indoors and outdoors. This helps children to make healthy lifestyle choices. Out in the garden area, children learn to become confident problem solvers. For example, when children pretend they are stuck in the mud, one child shouts 'I have an idea.' They make a bridge using crates and planks to move from one end of the garden to the other.

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

• Staff support children's communication and language development well. Babies babble and begin to repeat new words that staff use to support their emerging language. A delightful activity where babies try on different hats helps them to put the words 'hat' and 'head' together, building on their language. Staff introduce new vocabulary, such as 'caddy', when reading an information book about space rockets. Children repeat this word to their friends when engaging in role play. Staff engage children in conversations, valuing and responding to what they say. As a result, children become confident communicators.
• Staff have an in-depth knowledge of each child's needs. They use careful assessment and planning to deliver fun and engaging activities. However, there is less focus on the needs of children when they are playing as a group. Staff are not always clear about what they want children to learn during group activities. As a result, staff do not always extend children's learning through meaningful interactions.
• Staff meet the needs of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). They are proactive in forging partnerships with other professionals and ensuring that children receive prompt support. This helps children with SEND to make good progress across all seven areas of learning.
• Staff support children to learn about the diverse world in which we live. Staff take children for local walks and to shops to purchase ingredients needed for activities. This helps them to learn about the local community. Staff plan a range of activities that promote different cultures, such as Chinese New Year and Diwali. In addition, staff purchase storybooks about families made up of two mummies or two daddies. This supports children to learn about the differences between families. All children and families belong and are valued at this nursery.
• Staff promote children's independence skills effectively. They model how to use cutlery at mealtimes. Younger children learn how to use a spoon while older children begin to handle knives and forks to cut up their own food. Staff focus on key skills to help children take care of their own needs and to prepare them well for their transition to school. For example, children help themselves to drinks when they feel thirsty and put on their coats when going outside.
• Staff report that they feel valued in their role. Regular supervision sessions support them to reflect on their performance and identify their strengths and areas for development. The staff team work extremely well together to achieve their clear vision for the setting.
• Partnerships with parents are well established and effective. Staff invite them into the nursery for stay-and-play sessions to help them to understand what their children enjoy and how to continue learning at home. They value the additional community events, such as Bonfire Night celebrations and Christmas crafts. Parents are extremely happy with the updates they receive about their child's progress.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• strengthen staff's understanding of the intent of planned group activities, so that their teaching is consistently focused on what they want children to learn.