Partou Rosendale Road Day Nursery & Pre-School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are settled, confident and content at this welcoming and inclusive nursery. Staff plan and provide a challenging curriculum that supports children to make good progress in their development from their starting points. Activities are carefully planned and sequenced so they build on children's skills and follow their interests. Older children explore nature and wildlife. Staff have interesting discussions with children about birds and insects. They teach children the names of different birds and children enthusiastically talk about their observations in the 'bug hotel'. Younger children explore through sensory experiences, such as exploring the sand tray. They excitedly scoop sand and watch as they let it fall through their fingers. Staff introduce new vocabulary and give a running commentary as children play, which supports their communication and language development.

Staff provide all children with ample opportunities to build on their physical skills. This is demonstrated when children confidently navigate space, balance and climb. Additional activities such as yoga enable children to explore movement and strengthen their muscles. Children generally behave well. Staff provide children with much encouragement and plenty of praise for their achievements. Children beam with pride when staff tell them they are proud of them. This builds children's confidence and self-esteem.

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

• Staff carefully assess children's development to establish what they already know and can do. They use this information well to identify any emerging gaps and plan for children's next steps. The support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities is good. Staff work closely with parents and make timely referrals to ensure that children receive the specialist support they need.
• Staff build close bonds with children and new children are gently supported to settle. Babies seek out reassurance from familiar adults and cuddle up to staff. They confidently explore the stimulating learning environment. They giggle as they see their reflections in shiny objects and staff encourage them to point to their eyes and nose. Babies develop their mobility as they learn to master the stairs on the baby gym.
• Older children are sociable and develop their creativity. The engage in role play, where they pretend to go on picnics and talk about the food they are eating. There is a strong focus on supporting children's mathematical development. During the shopping activity, children confidently count and use simple addition to establish how much money they need. Children use their early writing skills as they record information and start to write their own names. They are learning important skills to support their move on to school.
• All children are developing a love of books and reading as staff make story time an enjoyable experience. Younger children explore textures as staff read to them and talk about the pictures. During shared reading, older children anticipate what might happen next and share their experiences. Parents are supported to develop children's enjoyment of books at home by accessing the well-resourced book lending library.
• Children generally behave well, and they understand the routines. They learn to take turns and to care for the environment by helping to tidy away the toys. However, on occasions, staff do not support children to understand the impact of their behaviour. Children are sometimes asked not to do certain things with no further explanation. This means they do not learn the consequences of unwanted behaviour and how this may impact on others.
• Parents speak very positively about the nursery. They say their children enjoy attending the nursery and they have seen children make good progress. Parents like the staff who they describe as 'fantastic'. They are reassured that the staff team are familiar and consistent. Parents appreciate the support that staff give to help guide their children's learning at home. They feel staff have gone 'above and beyond' to support their children's progress.
• Children learn about healthy lifestyles and the importance of being physically active. They enjoy a range of nutritious, freshly prepared meals and snacks. Staff understand children's health needs and have secure arrangements in place to accommodate these. Risk assessment is reviewed, where required, to support a safe environment. Children also learn to take some responsibility for their own safety, such as making sure they hold the hand rail while using the steps to access the garden.
• The management team are reflective. Evaluation processes have identified where changes can be made to support better outcomes for children. For example, a review of the transition arrangements has enabled the outdoor learning environment to be more readily accessible to children. Staff are supported to develop their skills and knowledge through various training opportunities. Although staff say they enjoy their work with the children, some feel the demands of their workload can have a negative impact on their well-being.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• develop behaviour management strategies to support children to understand the impact of any unwanted behaviour and how their behaviour may impact on others
• focus staff supervision more precisely to support staff well-being further and consider ways to engage effectively with staff to minimise any pressure from their workload.