Partou Fern Bank Day Nursery & Pre-School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

There is a very positive atmosphere across the whole nursery. Rooms are bright and inviting, and staff greet children, parents and visitors with a very warm welcome. The environment is calm but purposeful. Children of all ages are firmly engaged in the interesting and well-planned activities and resources available. Younger children delight as they join in with staff's singing and enjoy watching the actions that accompany the songs. Babies confidently explore making marks in flour as they pat, rub and sweep their hands across the table.

Older children display high levels of independence and self-assurance. They show a can-do attitude as they carry out a number of tasks independently. Staff show high expectations of children, only intervening when absolutely necessary. Children behave very well. They show care and consideration for their peers, sharing resources and inviting them to join in with their play ideas. Staff offer excellent age-appropriate explanations to aid children's understanding of positive behaviour. This helps children to make constructive and productive choices and greatly promotes their social skills. Children are happy, settled and show they feel safe and secure. They confidently welcome visitors to the nursery. Older children wave hello and quickly go to greet the inspector. Younger children display infectious smiles and enjoy sharing their musical instruments.

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

• The nursery has significantly improved since the last inspection. Additional training and support for staff, including managers, has led to a more in-depth understanding of safeguarding.
• Intentions for children's learning are well embedded and clearly understood by all staff. Planning very effectively builds on what children know and can do and takes into account their interests and activities experienced from home. Staff are well prepared in their activity planning, including ways to keep children engaged and to provide further challenge where needed.
• Staff provide excellent support for children's physical skills and small-muscle control, in good preparation for their mark making and later writing. For example, staff create a dough-making station where children can practice stirring, kneading and moulding their dough. Outside, children enjoy threading autumn leaves on string. Children are seen demonstrating their well-practised skills as they pick up and stick on tiny pieces of craft materials to their paper.
• Staff adapt their teaching well and provide many opportunities for children to play and learn in their home language or other languages spoken at home. Staff use key words in children's known languages during play and during different parts of the routine. This ensures children also develop a good level of English.
• Support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities is excellent. Staff work very closely with all professionals involved and implement agreed plans with precision. Staff show patience, understanding and expertise during their interactions with children.
• Children are keen, motivated learners. They happily play independently and show good levels of cooperation when playing with their peers. Staff ensure children are excited by their learning. They read stories with enthusiasm and join in with children's play, acting as excellent play companions.
• There is a small range of resources that reflect the diversity of life in modern Britain. However, these are not sufficient to help ensure all children develop a positive attitude to their individuality and enable them to represent themselves during play.
• The newly appointed manager has a clear vision and shows a strong commitment to her role. She has identified targeted and informed areas for improvement, demonstrating effective self-evaluation. There is a strong team spirit and staff say they feel supported and valued.
• There are good opportunities for staff professional development. For example, staff access a training package that includes a wide range of training topics. However, training content is not currently focused on education and early years practice in order to consistently make improvements in the teaching of the curriculum to the very highest levels.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• enhance the professional development of staff that focuses on building knowledge and skills that consistently translates into improvements in the teaching of the curriculum to the very highest levels
• extend opportunities for children to reflect on their differences and understand what makes them unique, helping all children to develop a positive attitude to their individuality.