Paper Moon Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are happy and independent learners. Staff carefully consider how children can build on what they know and can do. They have sequenced age-appropriate learning so that all children make good progress as they move through the nursery. For example, at mealtimes, older babies learn the skills that they need to hold cutlery and independently feed themselves. They are motivated by staff's praise. At this stage, children are developing their dexterity and hand-eye coordination. Further up in the nursery, toddlers pour their own drinks from a water dispenser and happily follow staff's request to wipe their face after they have eaten. Children are learning the self-care skills that they need to look after themselves.

In pre-school, children capitalise on the learning opportunities presented by the staff. For example, the recent discovery of a ladybird in the outdoor play area has sparked great enthusiasm for further bug hunting expeditions. Indoors, red play dough and pumpkin seeds are quickly transformed into ladybirds and children show their abilities with mathematical concepts, such as number and shape.

Outdoors, pre-school children decide they want to take the bus to the cinema to see their favourite film. Staff help children to determine how to safely create the bus using crates, sticky tape and rope. Children are proud of the bus they have made and all climb aboard to travel to their chosen destination.

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

• The manager and staff team have a clear vision about what they want children to learn and how they will teach this. They encourage children to be curious as they learn and discover through their play. Staff challenge children to work things out for themselves. They use skilful questioning to help children understand 'why' and 'how'. This stretches children's thinking and promotes their problem-solving skills. For example, in the role-play area, as children chop fruit and vegetables, they soon realise that to get inside the coconut they will need a different tool. Staff respond to children's suggestions and together they go off to ask the nursery cook for help. This demonstrates children's creative problem-solving skills.
• Staff use accurate assessment to find out what progress children are making in their learning and development. Through this, they identify areas which may need more teaching input. For example, staff working with toddlers have recently found that some children require extra support to grasp some mathematical concepts. They have acted on this by enhancing and focusing on this part of the curriculum, so that children can quickly secure this knowledge.
• Staff organise outings so that children can practise using their learning in real-life situations. For instance, they take children to the local supermarket to buy vegetables. Children count out money and pay for their chosen items themselves. Staff provide activities so that children can continue their learning back at nursery. For example, they have set up a role-play greengrocer shop where children pretend to be the customer and shopkeeper.
• The manager has developed an effective key-person system, which benefits both children and parents. Babies are comforted by the close and reassuring relationship that staff have built with them. Staff make sure there is a clear two-way flow of information with parents, and parents say they feel well informed about their child's care at the nursery. The manager happily accommodates individual needs, such as providing a comfortable space for mothers who are breastfeeding their child.
• In the most part, children behave well and show positive attitudes to their learning. Staff provide activities themed around topics that they know children are interested in, both indoors and outdoors. That said, on occasion some children show less engagement in meaningful activity. This sometimes happens because staff do not challenge children enough in their learning, or when children become distracted by other things happening around them.
• Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are extremely well supported in the nursery. The SEND coordinator works in partnership with parents and other professionals to ensure that children get the support they need to develop. Inventive methods of communication help children to develop the skills they need to let staff know what they want and need, these are especially important for non-verbal children. Parents speak very highly of the 'amazing' support they and their children receive at the nursery.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support staff to recognise when children become less engaged in learning and encourage them to take swift action to address this.