Pippins Day Nursery and Preschool

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are warmly welcomed by a friendly and nurturing staff team. Once inside, children are eager to play and motivated to learn. For example, they quickly explore pumpkins that they have grown in the forest school area as staff cut them open to reveal what is inside. Staff encourage them to use spoons to scoop out the seeds and enhance children's vocabulary by using descriptive words to explain the texture to young children.

Leaders plan an ambitious curriculum that follows the Montessori method of teaching. All areas of the curriculum extend to the outdoor area. Children benefit from forest school sessions where staff challenge children to take risks and explore their capabilities while climbing up and down the 'muddy mountain'. Children enjoy sitting together during song times as staff play the guitar. Staff encourage children to make their own instruments in the mud kitchen. Children clap their hands and stamp their feet to the rhythm of the music.

Children's behaviour is good. They play cooperatively with their friends. Staff provide lots of opportunities for children to learn to share and take turns. Staff provide activities to help children wait and listen and offer lots of praise for children's achievements. This helps promote children's self-esteem.

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

• Following a recent incident that was notified to Ofsted, the provider has reviewed their procedures in place. Staff now organise mealtimes effectively to ensure that children's allergy needs are consistently met. Policies and procedures for administering of medication are shared with staff so they understand the processes to follow.
• Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are well supported. Staff work closely with outside professionals to ensure that children receive appropriate support. Additional funding is used effectively to meet children's individual needs such as purchasing specific resources and providing additional one-to-one support. As a result, all children make good progress from their initial starting points.
• Leaders plan for children to be independent in every aspect of their lives. Staff encourage young children to put on their coats and shoes independently, offering support where needed. Staff provide small steps so younger children can reach the sink to wash their hands independently before mealtimes. Older children self-serve their food at mealtimes. This helps children develop the skills needed for later life.
• Staff plan a variety of activities to foster children's curiosity and love of learning. For instance, children take part in science experiments. Staff show them a range of ingredients and encourage children to predict what will happen when they mix them together. Children take turns measuring baking soda into a container and watch with fascination as they add vinegar and make their mixture 'erupt', which they link to a volcano.
• Children develop their coordination and spatial awareness as they join in with additional activities, such as music and dance sessions. The environment for babies is planned well to enable them to develop their core muscles as they pull to stand on low-level furniture to join in with activities.
• Overall, feedback from parents is positive. They feel that their children are making good progress in their learning. Staff regularly share information with parents about their children's learning and development, as well as ideas for supporting their child's learning at home. Some parents reflect that recent staff changes have been unsettling for their children and this has had an impact on the quality of the provision. However, they appreciate that the manager is quick to respond when they raise concerns.
• The current manager has an accurate view of the strengths of the nursery and the areas for development. Staff report that they receive good support through regular training and supervision meetings. However, there have been several changes in staff, leading to some minor inconsistencies in implementing the nursery's planned curriculum and ethos.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• continue to build on the support and guidance the newly formed staff team receive, to further embed the nursery ethos and address minor inconsistencies in the intended curriculum.