Partou Arnold Day Nursery & Pre-School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children and their families are warmly welcomed into this friendly and caring nursery. There is a clear and effective key-person system in place. When children start at the nursery, the staff work with parents to find out about their child's normal routines, interests and development. Children have strong attachments to their key person. Babies and toddlers receive lots of cuddles and reassurance when they arrive at the setting and throughout the day. Children show a sense of belonging at the nursery. Pre-school children confidently talk to the inspector about what they enjoy doing at the nursery. They point out their friends and the toys that they enjoy playing with.

Staff are good role models. They get down to children's level and play alongside children. They help children to problem solve and encourage them to keep trying when at first they struggle. Children concentrate and persevere as they work using tools to break ice and free toy animals that are frozen into it. When a child comments that breaking the ice with the tools is really hard work, staff encourage the children to think of ways they could melt the ice to make freeing the animals easier. Children recall prior experiences and suggest adding warm water to the ice.

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

• Staff comment that they enjoy working at the nursery. They have regular supervision and receive feedback on their practice. Robust recruitment procedures are in place to ensure that all staff employed to work with children are suitable to do so. New staff receive a comprehensive induction to ensure that they understand their role and responsibilities.
• The setting's special educational needs coordinator supports the key person of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) to work in partnership with parents and other professionals. They plan and implement strategies and interventions to ensure that all children with SEND receive the support that they need to make good progress in their learning and development.
• Staff encourage children to learn how to resolve conflict and to recognise and manage their emotions. Pre-school children are confident to express how they feel. This includes expressing when they are happy, sad, angry or frustrated. At dinner time when pre-school children do not want to help tidy up toys, staff get to their level and talk to them. Staff encourage the children to think about the activities they would like to get out to play with after they have eaten dinner. This helps motivate the children to put the toys they have been playing with away.
• Staff promote children's love of books and stories. Pre-school children listen to stories being read. Staff encourage them to talk about what they can see in the illustrations. Children use their imaginations to pretend to make porridge. Staff support them to recall and act out the story of Goldilocks and the three bears. However, staff do not consistently give children enough time to think and respond to questions they ask. Children are not able to share their own ideas and feelings.
• Staff provide children with freshly cooked healthy meals. Good attention is paid to meeting children's individual dietary requirements and preferences. Children are encouraged to drink water as needed throughout the day. They are learning to take care of their own hygiene needs. Pre-school children wipe their own noses and understand that they need to wash their hands before eating to prevent germs from making them ill.
• Parents value the information that staff share with them about their child's day and about the progress they are making in their development. They comment on the progress that their children have made, which they attribute to the time that their children spend at the nursery.
• The implementation of the curriculum for physical development is not as robust as other aspects of the curriculum. Pre-school children enjoy taking part in a wide range of activities outside. Staff provide children with the opportunity to develop their coordination and spatial awareness as they ride and steer wheeled toys. Children work together to build towers with empty milk crates. However, staff working with younger children do not plan well enough for physical exercise.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• build on staff's awareness of how to promote children's communication skills and extend children's language
• support staff that work with babies and toddlers to deliver the curriculum for physical development effectively, providing opportunities for children to have regular access to fresh air and take part in physical exercise.