Partou Langley Gorse Day Nursery & Pre-School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children spend much of their time laughing, giggling and having fun at this happy and welcoming nursery. They receive warm and friendly greetings from staff as soon as they arrive. New children settle very quickly. Parents have an initial visit with their child, which gives them all the opportunity to become familiar with staff, other children and the new environment. Staff spend time with parents and gather detailed information. This helps them to build on children's emotional security and learning from the start.

Staff in the baby room are extremely caring and nurturing. Children form close bonds with them. They provide plenty of space and equipment for babies to develop their core strength. The youngest children are beginning to pull themselves up to standing and take their first steps. Children benefit from a wide range of activities and experiences, both indoors and in the vast outdoor area. They are consistently engaged in exciting and interesting play and learning opportunities.

Children develop confidence and independence from a young age. They learn to pour their own drinks and serve their own meals. Children demonstrate a strong sense of self and belonging at nursery. They approach visitors to invite them to play. Older children talk and answer questions with ease. They recall past events, talk about family photos and show off their pictures with pride.

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

• The nursery is underpinned by a strong leadership structure. The longstanding staff team values the support and training it receives. New staff benefit from a thorough induction and training period to help prepare them for their role. This helps to enhance outcomes for children.
• Overall, teaching is good. Staff interact well with children. They model play and encourage children to experiment and test theories during activities. However, not all staff understand how to sequence learning effectively. For example, younger children are given scissors to cut cardboard before they have acquired the necessary prior skills to join in with the activity successfully.
• Staff know children well. They understand what each child likes and enjoys doing. Staff plan activities and experiences that are linked to children's interests. Most staff know what they want children to learn. However, there are times when they do not focus their planning precisely enough on what individual children need to learn next to help them make the best possible progress.
• Staff place a high priority on children's communication and language development. They consistently model and repeat new words. Children enjoy joining in with songs and rhymes. Staff recognise the importance of storytelling. They read to children individually or in small groups. The nursery offers a lending library for families, to help build on literacy skills away from nursery.
• Children behave very well. Staff explain the simple nursery rules to children and offer gentle prompts to help children to learn what is expected of them. For example, they remind children to use their 'walking feet' inside and to keep wheeled toys in the designated area. Staff support children to share resources and take turns. Children patiently wait for their turn during games. They hold and move upturned cones determinedly to catch balls staff throw towards them. Staff offer plenty of praise and encouragement, which results in children shrieking with delight as they make a successful catch.
• Staff promote physical skills well. Children benefit from regular activities in the fresh air and enjoy a range of healthy meals and snacks. Children manipulate dough with their hands, fingers and tools. They make marks with pencils and paint. Children learn about capacity as they fill and empty containers with sand and water. Staff add lengths of guttering to water trays to enable children to experiment further with pouring and measuring.
• Partnerships with parents are a key strength. The feedback from parents is overwhelmingly positive. Parents say they trust staff wholeheartedly with the care of their children. They comment that the nursery is 'exceptional' and 'amazing' and that their children are thriving. Parents appreciate the various methods staff use to keep them informed, including parents' evenings, workshops and regular electronic communication. Staff talk to parents at drop-off and collection times to share further information about their child's day. This helps to establish good continuity of care and a shared approach to care and learning.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support staff to develop their understanding of how to sequence children's learning more effectively
• develop planning to focus more precisely on children's individual learning needs.