Partou Curiosity Corner Day Nursery & Pre-School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are happy, settled and secure. They enjoy attending this warm and welcoming nursery. Staff are kind and caring in their approach. They offer cuddles and reassurance when needed, which helps children to feel emotionally secure and supports their readiness to learn. Staff gather detailed information about children when they first start, which enables children to settle quickly into nursery life. Children develop the confidence they need to explore and investigate resources and activities because of the sensitive and supportive interactions with staff.

Children benefit from a varied curriculum that is based on their individual needs and interests. Babies focus on developing their personal, social and emotional skills, with a strong emphasis on fostering relationships with their key person. Toddlers learn how to regulate their feelings and emotions and play alongside others as they develop essential physical skills. Pre-school children are supported to understand why, ask questions and follow rules in readiness for school. As a result, all children are making steady progress from their starting points.

Staff use daily routines to teach children the importance of turn-taking, sharing and waiting. Children play collaboratively with their peers. They build train tracks together, splash in water trays and explore colour as they create art. Staff encourage children to be independent and have a go at tasks themselves before offering help. This helps children to develop a positive 'can-do' attitude and to become resilient learners.

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

• The provider has made instrumental progress since the last inspection. They have reflected on their practice and have worked tirelessly to bring about positive improvements. The nursery is still undergoing a period of significant change. However, leaders are passionate about and fully committed to sustaining improvements. Their evaluation of the nursery is accurate and there are clear plans in place to raise the quality of practice to an even higher level.
• The provider has recently introduced a new, bespoke and ambitious curriculum for all children that ensures children gain the essential skills needed for their future learning. Leaders fully understand what it is that they want children to learn. However, aspects of the curriculum are not completely embedded. Some staff are less confident in their understanding of the overarching curriculum intent. As such, occasionally, activities are not precisely focused to support children to make even better progress.
• There is a strong ethos of inclusion and equality throughout the nursery. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities receive the targeted support they need to play and learn alongside their peers. Leaders ensure that any additional funding is used effectively to improve children's outcomes. Robust partnerships with external agencies help to ensure that children benefit from purposeful interventions.
• The provider has implemented new strategies to support children's behaviour. This is generally having a positive impact. Staff offer praise and encouragement to children and use clear and consistent reminders when needed. However, although staff intervene when necessary, they do not consistently help children to understand the consequences of their actions. This means that some children are not fully supported to learn right from wrong and understand what is expected of them.
• Children's mathematical skills are developing well. Young children explore size as they build towers with blocks. They fill and empty containers in the sand while staff model mathematical language such as 'full' and 'empty'. Pre-school children learn about number and quantity. They enjoy mathematical challenges where they explore what the number two means. Staff skilfully challenge children's understanding further as they explore 'one more' and 'one less'.
• Children's communication and language skills are supported well. Staff working with younger children narrate their play and model new vocabulary. Older children are encouraged to share their thoughts and ideas. As a result, children are becoming skilful communicators.
• Children demonstrate an enjoyment of stories and songs. They independently select books to read with their friends and staff. Babies join in with familiar actions to their favourite songs. They repeat new words they have learnt and excitedly clap their hands in anticipation of the next song or rhyme.
• Leaders and staff work well together. Staff benefit from regular observations of their practice and supervision meetings. Targeted training helps staff to improve their personal effectiveness. This has a positive impact on children's learning.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• provide more guidance for staff to enable them to understand and embed the intended curriculum so that they precisely plan activities to help children to make continued progress
• help staff to support children's behaviour more effectively so that children gain an understanding of the consequences of their actions and learn right from wrong.