Partou Woodlands Halton Day Nursery & Pre-School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children arrive happy and settled for their day at this welcoming setting. They separate confidently from parents as they are greeted by friendly staff. Children choose from a wide range of activities that build on what they already know and can do. Staff know the children well and adapt their approach to meet children's individual needs. Information gathered from parents is used to follow routines from home and build on children's experiences. This means children make good progress from their starting points.

Staff have high expectations for children's development and behaviour. They are positive role models who praise children for their achievements. Children are independent learners and the support from staff encourages them to persevere when developing new skills. As a result, children are happy, confident and resilient learners who excitedly explore the resources and activities available to them.

Children's learning continues outdoors, where they build on and learn new physical skills by completing obstacle courses. Children skilfully balance along beams and proudly jump when they reach the end. Younger children explore water and concentrate as they pour the water into different containers. Older children work together to make 'mud soup', which they then feed to dinosaurs. They communicate effectively with each other to take turns mixing and discuss if they need more water or mud.

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

• Leaders and managers have good oversight of the setting. The curriculum is planned around what children know and what they want them to learn next. This is adapted to meet the individual needs of children and to prepare them for the next stage in their learning. Staff have regular meetings and one-to-one supervisions with managers to ensure they get the support they need and to identify training needs and opportunities. As a result, staff report that they feel supported and happy in their job roles.
• Staff complete regular assessments and observations of children to plan for their next steps in learning. Individual plans meet the needs of children and ensure they make the progress they are capable of, including for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Staff adapt activities, where needed, to ensure that all children benefit and have the opportunity to take part.
• Overall, staff support children's communication and language well. They ask children questions to extend their learning and recall previous information and experiences. However, at times, staff do not always support children's conversational skills or model language appropriately to help children understand the correct use of words. This means, at these times, children are not being supported fully to develop their growing vocabulary.
• Staff successfully embed mathematics into the children's daily routine. They count with children as they play and discuss different shapes in the environment. During water play, staff talk to the children about containers being heavy and light. This helps children to gain an understanding of simple mathematical concepts.
• Children's independence is supported well. From a young age, children are encouraged and supported to manage their self-care needs. Staff support younger children to self-serve their lunch and feed themselves. Older children help to set the tables ready for lunch. This supports children's self-confidence and prepares them for future learning.
• Staff plan activities to support children's understanding of the world around them and the wider world. They teach children about the religions and special events important to their peers. This helps children to understand and celebrate similarities and differences between themselves. Walks around the local area help children to understand the community they live in and provide them with the opportunity to explore nature.
• Staff work closely with parents and build positive parent partnerships. Regular feedback ensures that parents know what their children are doing, their next steps in learning and how parents can support this at home. Parents are encouraged to share home routines and information about what their children have been doing away from the nursery. This provides consistency for the children and creates strong partnerships between families and staff.