Park Lane Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children make good progress. Staff work closely with children to find out their interests and plan appropriate activities to extend their learning. For example, children choose to make a card to take home. Staff support them to write their names and the names of family members.

Children are encouraged to talk about their emotions and how they are feeling. They say, 'I feel tired', recognising their own needs. Others talk about how excited they are because 'nanny is picking them up from nursery today'. Younger children use prompts such as different faces to express how they feel. Children learn that it is okay to feel a range of emotions and staff talk about how they support children with this.

Children's needs are met by sensitive and responsive staff. When babies become upset and tired, staff comfort them and lay them down to rest. They sing gently to calm them until they fall asleep. Older children are encouraged to be independent and demonstrate their self-care skills by getting themselves dressed, washing their hands and serving their meals. This helps to prepare them for their next stage of learning.

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

• The manager has developed a strong curriculum around communication, language development and reading. She also focuses learning on personal and social skills sequenced through the different ages in the nursery. For example, the youngest children develop their confidence and make strong attachments to their key person. Older children focus on school readiness, such as getting dressed, making friendships and communicating with confidence. This gives children the foundations for their future learning.
• Children develop awe and wonder for the natural world around them. For example, when going on a bug hunt, they find a slug under a log and carefully watch as it slowly moves across to the other side. Children use magnifying glasses to get a closer look and find out more about it. They ask questions and comment 'wow, look, it's moving'. Their peers join the group to find out what is happening and share experiences.
• Staff encourage children's language and communication development through songs, rhymes and stories. Children listen and join in with singing and actions, developing their language skills and learning new words. At times, staff do not use open-ended questions, which means that some children miss opportunities to extend their vocabulary and communication skills.
• In the outside area, children explore a range of activities to develop their large-muscle movements. For example, toddlers balance and ride on the tricycles and use the chunky chalks to make large drawings. Staff also provide a range of activities to promote fine motor skills such as play dough. Children use a range of tools, such as exploring ice with hammers. Developing these skills provides children with muscle strength needed for early writing.
• Staff give children time to talk about things that are important to them. During activities, children link their learning to past experiences and share this with peers, such as shopping and family events. Children are confident to talk about their home life and enjoy sharing this with others. However, staff do not always encourage children to listen to the views and ideas of their peers, to help them to develop a high level of respect for each other.
• There is a strong key-person system in place and staff know children and families exceptionally well. Children's progress is shared with parents on a regular basis. This means that parents know what their children are learning. Staff provide ideas of how parents can support children's learning at home. This gives children consistency in their learning both at home and at the setting. As well as specific learning ideas, the setting also provides families with a lending library of books and story boxes to share at home, encouraging children's love of reading.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• strengthen the monitoring of staff's practice to identify inconsistencies when asking children questions, to help to extend their vocabulary and communication skills
• support children to listen to other children's views and ideas and to develop respect for each other.