Park School Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Babies are warmly welcomed by highly skilled staff into the rich environment. They are keen to begin their learning, and the well-embedded and highly effective curriculum ensures that all babies make very good progress. Enthusiastic staff are extremely knowledgeable about their key children, what they know and what they need to learn next. Children benefit from meaningful learning opportunities. For example, babies explore different textures, such as feathers, rice, oats and pasta. They experiment with spoons, putting the different mixtures onto weighing scales and staff encourage them to see which weighs heavier. Staff promote children's communication and language skills exceptionally well. They expertly model communication through verbal and sign language, this enables all the babies to communicate their needs and wishes. Staff place a high emphasis on the prime areas of learning, which enables babies to feel secure and make meaningful relationships with the staff and the other children. Physical development is promoted exceedingly well, both indoors and in the covered outside classroom and the two exceptionally well-resourced outside areas.

Babies' behaviour is excellent. They respond exceptionally well to the nurturing staff, when they do not remember how to share and take turns. They show secure attachments with their key person and are confident to seek cuddles and reassurance. When leaders come into the room, babies demonstrate they feel secure with them too.

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

• The leadership team is inspirational and exceptionally knowledgeable on how young children learn and develop. For example, they provide staff with training on schemas and Birth to 5 Matters, to enable staff to provide high-quality learning opportunities. The manager role models exceptionally good practice and is regularly in the room, supporting and encouraging staff. Regular staff meetings and supervision play a strong part in staff's continued professional development. Staff talk about how the courses they attend help them in their everyday practice. For example, understanding babies has enabled staff to look at how babies need that comfort and secure bonds to enable them to be motivated to learn.
• Highly effective partnership with parents ensures that they are fully informed about their babies' time in the setting. They have regular meetings with staff and discuss how they can support their babies' learning at home. Parents value the close relationships with the staff and feel that communication is prompt and relevant. They really appreciate the daily updates when they collect their children and also on the online app.
• Children who speak English as an additional language are exceptionally well supported in the setting. Staff use dual language flashcards and work very closely with parents to make sure children's home language is valued and that they are making good progress with their English.
• Babies are highly motivated and show great enthusiasm in the meaningful learning opportunities. Staff skilfully demonstrate how to use different resources, such as the toy farm with animals, encouraging children to practise the sounds the animals make. The older babies are encouraged to move the animals around the farm, extending their understanding. Babies thoroughly enjoy playing in the pretend ice-cream shop in the outside area. They excitedly make ice creams for staff, who respond enthusiastically and talk about the different pretend flavours.
• Exceptional staff promote British values very well and babies learn from an early age about democracy, making choices in their play and learning. They explore different cultures, learning to respect and value others.
• Babies gain a strong sense of belonging as staff display photos of their families and talk about their home lives. They have their own belongings that, in the sleep room, help them to feel comfortable and relaxed. The highly effective key-person system ensures that they are cared for by knowledgeable staff.