Pink Elephants Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children and their families are greeted with a warm welcome by the manager and practitioners. They demonstrate that they feel safe and secure, as they confidently enter the nursery and settle quickly. Children develop close bonds with the practitioners in their room, and they approach them for comfort when needed. Key information is shared between parents and practitioners at the beginning and the end of the day to help support children's time at home and nursery.

Children behave well towards practitioners and their peers. Practitioners model calm and respectful behaviour. For example, children problem solve with each other during their play and come to an agreement with little to no support needed. Practitioners show high levels of respect for children by, for example, gaining consent before wiping noses or changing nappies. Babies are asked individually if they would like to go outside.

Children make good progress in all areas of the curriculum, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Key persons know their individual children well and observe their development consistently. They assess children's progress well and provide tailored activities that offer challenge and support. Practitioners use visual aids, such as picture cards, to support children with their understanding and communication.

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

• Practitioners support children to develop their communication and language skills from an early age. They sing songs and talk to babies while they play. Older children talk to each other at lunchtime and during their play. Practitioners extend this by asking questions and introducing new words.
• Practitioners comfort and nurture children and respond sensitively to their needs. If children arrive unsettled, they carefully consider how each child prefers to be comforted. This helps children to feel emotionally safe and secure.
• All children have good opportunities to develop their physical skills. They have access to various outside areas with a range of resources to challenge them, such as climbing and building equipment. Babies enjoy the soft-play area and resources that strengthen their legs, ready for their next stage in development.
• Children learn about communities and cultures beyond their own. Practitioners speak and sing with children in their home language at group times. They gather information from parents to extend children's knowledge and plan cultural celebrations that reflect the children in the nursery. This supports children to develop a positive sense of self and a respect for other people and communities.
• Practitioners skilfully support children with SEND. They adapt the routine to allow children to do things at their own pace and provide one-to-one support when needed. The special educational needs coordinator (SENCo) and practitioners work effectively with parents and other professionals, such as local authority staff and speech and language therapists, to ensure that all children progress well.
• Children demonstrate independence skills, although opportunities to be independent are inconsistent. For example, older children serve their own food and pour their own drinks from the water dispenser. However, some children are not given cutlery to cut up their own food. In addition, younger children are not given the same opportunities, as their food and drink are served for them.
• The management team is passionate and committed to achieving great outcomes for children. The team focuses on the continuous professional development of the practitioners and encourages them to achieve their qualifications. Practitioners feel supported and enjoy their work. This helps them to deliver a good quality of education.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• improve consistency in how children are supported to develop independence and self-help skills, particularly during mealtimes.