Patacake Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children show that they are happy, safe and settled in this welcoming and nurturing nursery. Babies and toddlers are relaxed and smile when they see familiar staff. All children develop secure and trusting bonds with their key person and all staff. If needed, they look to staff for reassurance and cuddles, which they receive in abundance. Babies are inquisitive. They enjoy shaking sealed plastic bottles containing interesting objects to explore the different sounds they make. Babies shriek with delight as they work out how to roll balls down a slope and continue to explore how they can safely slide down the slope on their tummy.

Younger children develop good control and coordination of their hands as they use a selection of small tools to scoop up sand to fill toy diggers. They are motivated and keen to learn. For instance, they carefully balance circular shaped blocks on top of one another and keep trying until they successfully use all the blocks. Older children show respect for living things. They gently handle slugs and worms they find in the garden and observe them closely. Children use complex sentences to describe how the creatures look and compare them in size. The vast range of writing materials and encouragement from staff inspires children to have a go at writing their name.

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

• Staff know the individual needs and interests of children. They provide a curriculum that builds on what children know and can do. Staff swiftly identify any gaps in children's learning and plan exciting activities that help to close them. Children benefit from a language-rich environment that builds on their communication skills.
• Children are very well supported to develop a love of books in the cosy and inviting reading areas. They listen intently as staff read stories in an expressive way. Staff skilfully extend children's literacy skills as they encourage them to gather props to retell familiar stories in their own way.
• Children who speak English as an additional language are very well supported. Staff make the best possible use of the language books and visual prompts they create. This helps children to understand everyday routines and develop their home language alongside English. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are supported effectively.
• Staff manage any minor disagreements between younger children calmly. They provide consistent praise for children's achievements and positive behaviours. As a result, children learn to play harmoniously together. Older children confidently regulate their own behaviour.
• All children enjoy regular access to the inviting outdoor areas. They have fun exploring a range of interesting activities, practise their physical skills and learn to assess their own risks as they jump off large tree stumps.
• The manager and the staff build strong relationships with parents. Parents receive ongoing information about their children's development and progress. Staff provide ideas on how parents can help to support children's learning at home. Parents comment how they find this helpful and enjoy searching for different birds with their children, as part of national birdwatching month.
• Mealtimes are a social occasion where children and staff come together. Staff act as positive role models. This motivates children to eat the nutritionally balanced meals. 'Snuffle stations' provide children with good opportunities to wipe their own nose and practise good hygiene routines. Some staff encourage children to do this themselves, as well as putting on their own outdoor clothing. However, not all staff challenge children to do this for themselves to secure their rapid progress in being highly independent.
• The ambitious manager is reflective and strives for continuous improvement of the nursery. She places a high priority on the well-being of staff. Staff feel valued and talk about how they enjoy working at the nursery. Staff have opportunities to develop their skills and knowledge. Recent training has had a positive impact to help children understand and express their emotions. Staff receive regular supervision meetings to reflect on their practice. However, current supervision arrangements are not yet thoroughly embedded to precisely focus on raising the quality of teaching to an even higher level.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• offer children more opportunities that challenge them to do as much as possible for themselves to be highly independent individuals
• strengthen the existing arrangements for the supervision of staff to focus even more sharply on raising the professional development of staff to the highest level.