Paper Moon Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children from all backgrounds thrive in this nursery, due to the care and dedication of the manager and staff team. Staff are very attentive, considerate, and nurturing towards children. This is especially evident in the baby room. Babies new to the nursery receive one-to-one attention during their session. Staff instinctively know what is best for babies, such as providing close cuddles when they wake from a nap or offering reassurance when unfamiliar adults enter the room. Staff have high expectations of children and encourage supportive behaviour. For example, staff suggest children help each other to secure their painting aprons. When toddlers want the same toy dinosaur, they kindly hand it over and wait their turn. Staff raise children's self-esteem and praise their acts of kindness.

Children throughout the nursery come together to engage in a physical music and movement session. They eagerly follow instructions and show their creativity. Babies who are learning to walk receive support from staff to develop their muscles and to pull themselves up on equipment. Children are creative in their play. Toddlers show their role-play skills as they work together to wash the pretend cars. Pre-school children spend a long time using different materials to create their own models.

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

• The manager of the nursery is extremely passionate about her role, and she believes children deserve the best start in their lives. The nursery is a very inclusive setting, and staff ensure they include all children in the activities and experiences. Staff feel fully supported by the manager and comment, 'Her door is always open.' The staff team work together to deliver good quality learning experiences across all areas of the curriculum.
• Literacy is a strength of the nursery. Children develop a love of books and stories. Babies engage in stories as they lift flaps to reveal what is hidden underneath. Pre-school children re-enact stories with great enthusiasm as they sit together in a group. Staff read animatedly and encourage children to recall parts of the story. Toddlers take part in telling a story. They go on a hunt in the garden to look for bears and watch in awe as each element of the story unfolds.
• There is a strong intent for the nursery curriculum, and the manager and staff know what they want children to achieve. This is based on the individual needs of the different children who attend the nursery. Babies are supported to feel emotionally secure and build secure attachments with staff. Toddlers are encouraged to be independent and make their own choices. Pre-school children are supported to be prepared for their move on to school. For example, they develop good listening and attention skills during group activities.
• Staff manage behaviour well. They model positive behaviour and explain clearly to children why some behaviour is not acceptable. Staff praise good manners, and this results in children who say please and thank you spontaneously when handed something.
• Staff provide experiences for children to promote their small-muscle movements. For example, pre-school children self-serve their own lunch using tongs. Toddlers begin to develop these same skills as they use tongs to pick up pretend worms as they play in mud. Babies are encouraged to use cutlery to feed themselves at lunchtime.
• Overall, staff place a strong emphasis on promoting good communication skills. Children hear new vocabulary, such as pipette, slimy and crunchy. However, staff do not always promote older children's thinking skills. This is due to staff being enthusiastic to communicate with children and not always giving them time to formulate their own ideas and respond to their questions.
• Staff nurture children's emerging interest in the change of season and help them investigate pumpkins. Staff are mindful that not all children may have the opportunity to visit pumpkin patches. Babies are provided their own pumpkin patch to explore. Toddlers use their senses to investigate the texture of the inside of a pumpkin. Pre-school children read seasonal stories and eagerly talk about their pumpkin picking at the weekend.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• build on staff's questioning techniques to allow children time to think and respond in order to help them express their own ideas.