Pippas House Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Staff spend time getting to know children and their families. This helps to build a foundation of trust and respect right from the start. Children arrive happy and eager to start their day. They are excited to see their friends and staff, and greet them with a smile. Children demonstrate a positive attitude towards learning. For example, babies and toddlers enthusiastically roll cars through paint and show a genuine interest in the patterns they are forming. Older children show an enjoyment of creative arts and express themselves through their drawings and art work.

The manager and staff construct a curriculum that offers a range of experiences for children to explore the wider world. For example, children learn about the life cycle of animals through first-hand experiences. They delight in watching ducklings hatch, which helps to build on their understanding of nature and how to care for living things.

Staff are nurturing and caring towards children. They always take children's thoughts and feelings into account and swiftly respond to help them resolve minor conflict. Children, throughout the nursery, behave well and show they feel safe and secure. From a young age they play cooperatively alongside each other.

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

• The manager and staff plan a varied curriculum that builds on what children already know and can do. However, not all staff working with babies and younger children plan precisely enough, to ensure they consistently focus and build on children's developing speech and language skills. This does not help children develop an even wider breadth of vocabulary.
• Children's independence is nourished from a very early age. For example, babies confidently and proudly use a spoon to feed themselves at meal times. Staff consistently encourage children to manage things for themselves, such as pouring their own drinks and serving their own food. All children become independent learners and build on the skills they need in preparation for school.
• Staff are good role models. They treat children with respect and, when needed, sensitively explain and remind children about the rules in the nursery. Children are polite and show good manners to others. For example, they greet the nursery chef with a polite 'hello' and 'thank you,' when she brings their nutritious home cooked meals into their room.
• The importance of leading a healthy life style is embedded across the nursery. Staff discuss the importance of eating healthy food as children engage in pretend play. They ensure children have regular exercise and opportunities to enjoy outdoor activities throughout the day. Babies build on their skills as they make their way up and over equipment, such as slides. Their older peers build on their stamina as they whizz around on ride-on toys and play games with their friends for example.
• Staff support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities well. They work closely with families and health professionals to ensure they consistently support children's learning, care and welfare needs.
• Relationships with parents are strong. Staff share information through regular updates on an online app, daily discussions and parent meetings. They offer guidance to help parents build on and support their child's learning and welfare at home, such as through a lending library and oral hygiene packs. Parents say they feel well informed and very supported by the manager and staff at the nursery.
• Staff support children to make good progress in their early mathematical skills. For example, children measure objects and use numbers in their play. They confidently count beyond ten as they build towers. However, sometimes, in their enthusiasm, some staff working with older children do not fully consider how they can adapt their teaching, to reflect on the learning needs of all individual children. At times, the younger children in the room do not fully benefit from the learning taking place.
• Leaders and managers are dedicated to improve outcomes for children. They place a strong focus on staff well-being and offer them support, such as through supervision and feedback to help improve their practice.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• place an even sharper focus on planning, to ensure all staff consistently focus on the developing speech and vocabulary of babies and young children
• strengthen teaching to ensure all staff working with older children consistently reflect on the learning needs of the younger children in the room.