Partou Hilltops Day Nursery & Pre-School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are happy and thoroughly enjoy their time at this welcoming nursery. Staff are caring and know the children very well. They provide children with opportunities to explore and develop their small-muscle skills during their play. Children use their imagination well as they play with the pretend farm and the animals. Children are naturally creative as they explore the natural resources available in the playrooms.

Children enjoy playing outside, developing their large-muscle skills. For example, they ride on bicycles and take part in parachute play. All children are supported with their communication and language through meaningful conversations with staff, looking at books and listening to stories. Children are well behaved. Staff have a consistent approach to managing behaviour, reminding children of the nursery rules. Consequently, children have good attitudes to learning. Children have good manners, follow instructions well and are respectful of one another in all aspects of their play. Children have formed friendships with one another and play alongside each other well.

The company has made changes to the nursery in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Extended settling-in sessions were offered for children. Parents now drop children off and collect them from staff at the door. Children separate with ease from their parents and happily enter the nursery. Therefore, children's personal, social and emotional development is supported well and is a key strength of the nursery.

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

• The manager has a clear vision of her expectations for children who attend the nursery. She supports staff effectively through targeted peer observations and supervisions, which supports children to make the best possible progress while attending the nursery.
• Overall, the manager and staff provide a curriculum which is balanced and builds on what children already know and can do. However, at times, mainly during group activities, children start to lose interest quickly because staff do not always consider what children already know and how they can consolidate their learning.
• Personal care needs for the younger children are effective. Younger children feel safe and have developed close bonds with the staff. Staff care for younger children who are upset by giving cuddles and reassuring them. Staff respond well to babies, who confidently approach them during their play.
• The environment is well organised, which enables children to move freely around choosing their own play. Children display high levels of confidence.
• Children are encouraged to serve themselves their own lunch and pour their own drinks. This supports children to become independent.
• Staff encourage children to be healthy through a variety of ways, such as providing healthy meals, supporting them to develop an understanding of oral health and through activities which help them to learn about their bodies.
• Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are supported well and make good progress because staff work well with families, and they are fully aware of the individual needs of the children. Staff make necessary adjustments effectively to support children to make the best possible progress.
• Staff plan challenging activities based on children's interests. However, staff do not always ensure that the implementation of some activities meet the individual learning needs of all children. As a result, some children do not always make sufficient progress towards their next steps in learning.
• Parents speak highly of the setting and the staff team, and partnerships with parents are strong. Activities are shared with parents to do at home, such as an autumn treasure hunt; 'questions of the week' are sent home for older children to find out about the world, and books from the lending library are shared.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• refine the planning of group activities to ensure there is a clear intent that holds children's attention
• review the implementation of some activities so that they are clearly targeted on children's interests and next steps.