Partou Magic Garden Day Nursery & Pre-School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children benefit from a curriculum that helps to develop their emotional well-being. They behave very well. Children listen to staff and follow instructions. They make friendships with others and form positive relationships with staff. Children listen and engage in conversations with staff, such as talking about their recent holidays and summer adventures. They show that they are confident to express their views and ideas. Children re-enact real-life experiences. For instance, they tell staff that they want to be a doctor when they grow up. Children dress up and use pretend play accessories, such as a stethoscope, when playing with baby dolls. They pretend to administer medicine and read stories to their dolls. This helps to promote children's imagination and creative skills.

Children show that they enjoy their time at the setting. Babies and young children settle well. They explore their environment and make independent choices in their play. For instance, they use brushes and their hands to explore various colours of paint. Children tell staff that they are painting rainbows. Children use toy vehicles, including large diggers, during sand play activities. Staff play alongside children and support their interests. For instance, they provide children with storybooks to help to keep them motivated to learn.

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

• Leaders have made significant improvements to the overall quality of the setting since the previous inspection. The new manager is driven and has a clear vision for the future. She seeks the views of others to help inform the evaluation of nursery and to learn how continued improvements can be made.
• Leaders complete supervision sessions for staff and hold regular team meetings. They have also recently introduced practice observations to review the quality of interactions between staff and children. However, this is not yet well embedded. The new manager has not yet had time to build on existing performance management procedures to help identify and swiftly address weaknesses in staff performance and practice.
• Children demonstrate good physical skills. They are able to manoeuvre around obstacles, climb and balance over outdoor apparatus. Children squeeze, grab and mould play dough. Staff recognise that children need to develop muscles in their arms and hands before moving on to early writing at school. Children show good hand-eye coordination as they make marks in sand and during painting activities.
• Children show good communication and language skills. They talk with enthusiasm about what they are playing with. Children show an interest in dinosaurs and give a running commentary as they play. They talk about what dinosaurs might eat when they are hungry. They join in with stories and song time.
• Parents state that they feel that their children enjoy their time at the setting. The new manager has implemented ways to engage with parents. This includes the introduction of newsletters and a breakfast bar with fresh fruit and healthy snacks available. The new manager has created a lending library where parents and children are able to borrow storybooks to take home to read together. However, parents state that they do not feel that they receive enough information about what their children are learning at the setting to help them to continue their children's learning at home.
• Children benefit from a range of healthy choices during mealtimes. The nursery cook is aware of any allergy or dietary requirements and provides alternative, well-balanced menu choices. Children follow good hygiene practices. They are reminded to wash their hands regularly and use tissues to blow their noses.
• Staff work in partnership with a range of other professionals. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are supported to make good progress in their learning and are prepared well for what they need to learn next. Staff complete observations and assessments of children's learning. They adapt activities to provide additional support for children who require this. Children develop key skills needed for their eventual move to school.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• strengthen existing performance management procedures to identify and address any emerging weaknesses in practice
• enhance partnership working with parents, particularly in relation to sharing information about children's learning and development to help parents continue their learning at home.