Paper Moon Nurseries

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children arrive happy and are confident to separate from their parents. They demonstrate that they feel safe and secure. For example, babies are keen to go into the open arms of staff when they arrive. Older children walk confidently into the playrooms. Children show positive relationships with staff and their peers. They help their friends to take off all-in-one suits. Children are keen to speak to staff about their needs and wishes. They are encouraged to be polite. Children use sign language and words when they are reminded to say thank you to the nursery cook for providing their lunch.

Staff know the children well and how to help them progress in their development. For example, they encourage younger children to try and complete tasks, such as pressing a button to switch a light on. Children persevere and return to complete tasks time and time again, helping to secure their knowledge. Staff supervise children well, for example when they take risks and go down slides head first safely outdoors. Older children learn about emotions when they listen to staff read stories about colours that represent different feelings. Children are encouraged to act out stories to help develop their imaginative skills. Older children are excited to pretend to go on a hunt in the garden for a bear and join in saying repeated phrases from favourite stories.

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

• Since the last inspection, the manager has supported staff through supervisions, in-house and external training to help extend their knowledge of how to support children's communication and language skills. For example, staff sing songs with children and use sign language to support their understanding of words. They talk to children when they play alongside them, and introduce new words to help their developing vocabulary.
• The manager and staff reflect on their provision. Recent changes offer further opportunities for parents to continue to support their children's learning at home. For example, books are available for children to take home to for parents to read to them. This is to help children develop a love of books and stories.
• Staff support non-mobile babies well to develop their physical skills. For example, they move toys to encourage them to roll over when they lay on their backs. However, staff do not fully support one-year-old children to follow their interests to be physically active indoors. Instead, sometimes they try to distract them to do other activities.
• Staff promote positive behaviour well. When younger children work out how to open a box, staff clap their hands, give them a thumbs up and say 'well done'. When children begin to use the toilet, they are given a sticker to praise their achievements. This helps them to understand what is expected of them.
• Staff provide opportunities for children to learn about different foods and music from other countries around the world. For example, at lunchtime, staff play Italian music for children to listen to and tell them that the pasta they eat is also eaten in Italy.
• Staff work well in partnership with parents and other professionals to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Parents comment that the same strategies are used in the nursery as at home to support consistency in their children's communication skills.
• Overall, children learn skills for the future. They serve themselves food at lunchtime to help them to manage portion sizes. However, some aspects of self-care are not as well supported, particularly for two-year-old children. For example, they are not fully given opportunities to use age-appropriate equipment, such as drinking from an open cup.
• Children who speak English as an additional language are supported to have a sense of belonging in the nursery. For example, staff use key words in their home language when they speak to children. This helps them to understand instructions and routines.
• The manager spends additional funding effectively to meet children's individual needs. For example, this helps children to extend their interests and to become familiar with the school they will move on to.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support staff in the baby room to quickly identify how to extend one-year-old children's interests in being physically active indoors
• strengthen staff's knowledge of how to offer two-year-old children age-appropriate equipment to help build on their self-care skills.