Partou Old Town Day Nursery & Pre-School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Leaders have effectively addressed the actions since the last inspection to make the necessary improvements to secure a good judgement.

Children arrive happy and confident and are quick to separate from parents to join their friends in play. Staff provide a warm welcome and engage in conversation about the plans for the day. Children show enthusiasm as they make choices of where they want to play.

Staff show care and are attentive to the individual needs of children, which supports their overall well-being and emotional development. Children develop strong bonds with the staff caring for them and show a strong sense of belonging.

Children explore a wide range of well-resourced and planned activities that support all children to engage and focus in purposeful play. Staff encourage children's communication and language development through a range of stories and activities. For example, children use their imagination to create their own stories from a range of picture cues. They take turns to build and develop the story and show pride in their achievement. Staff engage and provide more vocabulary to help children develop their language skills further.

Children are kind to each other and focus for good periods of time in their chosen play. They show positive attitudes towards their learning and behaviour. Staff support this through positive interaction and engagement in activities with children.

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

• Leaders have developed an ambitious and sequenced curriculum that supports children's learning and development. They consider children's current skills and abilities and plan to support children's next steps in learning. They work closely with staff to support continuous and consistent practice that focuses on quality of teaching.
• Staff plan a wide range of interesting and inviting activities that reflect children's interests and learning needs. They use observation and assessment well to identify what children already know and can do. Staff focus on what it is they want children to learn and engage with children during focused group times. However, very occasionally some focused activities do not consistently support the needs and interests of the youngest children. At such times these children are not as engaged in purposeful play as at other times.
• Children develop their understanding of mathematical concepts. They explore and create figures with dough. Staff pose questions to support children to compare the shape and weight of two dough models. Children are keen to share their thoughts and assess the shape and size of the figures. They hold them and feel the weight of them. Staff encourage children to talk about what is the same and what is different between them. Staff encourage children's interest in extending the activity to counting, providing challenges to meet children's thinking and build next steps in learning.
• There is an effective key-person system that allows staff to understand and support children's learning needs. However, minor communication inconsistencies among staff members lead to occasional times where they do not consistently provide the targeted support for those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).
• Staff are positive role models for children. They show care and are kind to the children. These positive interactions support children's personal, social and emotional development as they learn to be kind and caring towards their peers and staff. Children behave well and show a positive attitude towards their learning. They engage and focus on their chosen play for good periods of time. They take turns and share resources with their friends.
• Staff actively incorporate songs and stories into daily routines, ensuring that all children have access to books and opportunities to share stories with adults. They read with enthusiasm and recite key phrases to bring the story to life. Additionally, staff encourage children to make predictions about what happens next to support and develop creative thinking by inviting them to create their own versions of the story.
• Partnerships with parents are positive. Parents speak highly of leaders and staff. They have a mutual respect and trust in the staff that helps them feel well supported. Leaders and staff maintain open and effective communication, keeping parents fully informed about their children's daily experiences and developmental progress.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• strengthen the organisation of group activities to consistently meet the needs of the youngest children
• enhance strategies for planning and monitoring children's progress, particularly for those with SEND, to build on their good progress.