Pennies at Newnham Court

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children of all ages are happy and settled at the warm and inviting nursery. They are confident and independent. For example, children choose their own play and complete their own tasks. They are eager to tell their friends, 'Look I done it' after successfully zipping up their own coat. Children excitedly engage in challenging activities that staff carefully plan for them. For example, older children learn about still life drawings as they draw a vase of daffodils. Younger children are keen to explore their senses. For instance, they investigate bottles that smell of different items, such as salted caramel and garlic cloves.

Children gain good social skills. They are polite and behave well. Even the youngest children sign 'please' and 'thank you'. Children build positive friendships and happily play together. Children develop a good understanding of healthy lifestyles. For instance, they brush their teeth after lunch and talk about the importance of doing so. Older children learn about healthy eating, as they make fruit juice from fresh oranges. Children of all ages gain good physical skills. For example, they confidently use slides, crawl through tunnels, climb up climbing walls and balance on large tyres. Children in receipt of additional funding are supported through carefully considered equipment that matches their individual learning needs. For example, sensory equipment has been purchased for children to use.

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

• All staff, including the managers, establish secure and trusting relationships with children. Children have a good sense of belonging and positive levels of well-being. Staff get to know their individual personalities, likes and dislikes well. This helps staff to plan activities for children that they know will interest and motivate them. This helps all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, to make good progress. Staff are very knowledgeable about how to support all children to reach their full potential.
• The managers and staff build and maintain positive partnerships with parents. They communicate with them regularly and keep them well involved and informed in their child's day and achievements. Staff share regular photographs of what children have enjoyed learning. They are dedicated to getting to know families well. For example, staff offer to visit children's homes to make a connection between home and the setting, in order to help children settle quickly.
• The managers closely monitor the good quality of education and care that staff provide. They routinely observe staff teaching children and provide them with helpful feedback to support their future performance.
• All staff work together to evaluate their practice. Staff include the children's views and thoughts on the activities. They use the feedback to enhance their future activity plans. All staff attend regular training. They have made good use of recent training to support children of all ages to become curious to explore and investigate as they play.
• All staff support children to develop a good understanding of the similarities and differences of people within the setting, and the wider community outside of their own experiences. This includes other countries. For example, children learn about the carnivals and food delicacies traditional to Italy and listen to Italian music.
• Some staff use effective ways to communicate with other settings that children attend. For example, they contact them to share children's learning and achievements. However, this is not consistent and some staff do not have a clear understanding of where their children also attend and how to communicate directly with their key persons. Therefore, staff do not yet provide the highest level of consistency to all children's shared care and learning experiences.
• Overall, babies are happy and well cared for. However, staff do not organise and manage the lead up to lunch as effectively as other parts of the routine. Therefore, babies wait some time for their meals. They lose some interest in their learning experiences and are not fully engaged during this period of time.
• Staff support all children to develop good communication skills. They use simple singing with all children. Older children are confident to share their ideas and thoughts with confidence. For instance, they are keen to share their unique songs with their friends. Older children lead by good example and enjoy singing songs with the babies, who thoroughly enjoy their company.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• review and improve the organisation of the lunchtime routine for babies to ensure that they are happy and engaged during this time
• develop a more consistent approach to the sharing of information with other settings children attend.