Partou Brambley Hedge Day Nursery & Pre-School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children thrive in this inspirational setting. The exciting environment provides children with varied opportunities to explore well-resourced indoor spaces and large outdoor gardens. Children develop a sense of belonging from the moment they start at the setting. They settle quickly with familiar staff, who skilfully ensure that children have the time to form a strong attachment with their key person. Flexible settling-in sessions when children first start enable children and parents to feel welcome, safe and happy. Children are consistently extremely focused on a range of stimulating activities in the setting. Babies explore the garden for bugs and walk across the low bridge independently, confidently using their balance to go up and down. Toddlers are exuberant as they use a hosepipe to fill the large water tray and throw buckets of water over the garden to put out their pretend fires.

Children's communication and language skills are expertly supported as staff consistently build on their vocabulary and introduce new words. For example, older children mix mud pies, talk about the smell of the lavender and pick the petals off buttercups one by one. Babies cuddle contently on practitioners' knees, while they calmly listen to stories and sing songs. All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, make exceptional progress from when they start at the setting. Children are extremely motivated to learn and make choices about what they want to play with. Children's behaviour is exemplary. They play with each other extremely well, listening to their peers' ideas and taking turns. They form strong friendships and clearly enjoy their time at this inspiring setting.

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

• Leaders plan a highly ambitious and extremely well-sequenced curriculum. Staff implement this effectively with their excellent knowledge of what children need to learn next. For example, children consistently develop their small-muscle skills through a range of mark-making opportunities and activities to exercise their fingers. This ensures that children develop the necessary muscles to embed their early writing skills over time.
• Staff know children exceptionally well and know precisely what children need to learn next. Exciting and inspiring activities are consistently planned to ensure that children are highly engaged and motivated to learn, taking into account their current interests. Staff skilfully adapt activities with fluidity to reflect children's emerging interests and capture their curiosity. For example, toddlers hold and feel potatoes as staff explain how the potato is cooked to make their mash for lunch. This means that children are consistently motivated to learn and are extremely engaged.
• The setting's vision to ensure that children have a sense of belonging is demonstrated in abundance around all the rooms. For example, babies' photos are displayed in different individual frames in their key-worker groups. Photos of children are seen consistently around the nursery, celebrating their achievements and what they have enjoyed playing with. Every child has a 'family book', which they can look at during the day for a sense of reassurance. This means that children feel safe and secure.
• The large outdoor areas provide children with numerous experiences and opportunities to challenge themselves and take risks. Children confidently use the swings independently, moving their legs back and forth to go higher each time. They climb up the side of the climbing frame and staff support them if required. Therefore, children continually build their confidence and are resilient in their play.
• Parents are overwhelming happy with the care provided. They feel extremely well supported by leaders and staff. Parents praise 'the amazing staff' and comment that 'the kindness, love and support they show is truly outstanding'. Parents are well informed of their child's progress through daily feedback, an online app and recent parents' meetings. They are given ideas to support their child's learning at home. For example, parents and children are encouraged to use the easily accessible book-lending library and local library bus, which regularly visits the setting. This promotes a love of reading from an early age.
• Leaders highly value the well-being of staff and support them exceptionally well. Staff training is precisely focused on what they need to learn to support them in their role. Staff regularly receive rewards and their achievements are celebrated. Supervisions and observations enable staff to develop their skills and knowledge further. This consistently enhances the quality of teaching and interactions between children and staff to the highest level.
• The setting skilfully manages children's transitions between rooms. Children have time to get to know staff and spend time with their peers. Staff ensure that children learn the skills they need so that they are ready for their next stage of learning. For example, babies learn to sit in chairs for their meals in preparation for their transition to the toddler room. Pre-school children learn to undress and dress ready for their transition to school. Leaders work closely with local providers and schools to ensure they share information with professionals to support children's learning.