Pippins Daycare

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children learn with enthusiasm at this happy, welcoming nursery. They quickly form secure attachments with the staff team who are caring and sensitive to their needs. Children make choices about what they want to play with, selecting from the rich variety of activities on offer. Toddlers delight in choosing pictures which represent familiar nursery rhymes, and they are keen to join in with the actions and songs. Older children enjoy the challenge of writing their own names and then show pride as they write the teacher's name too. Children receive lots of praise and encouragement from staff. They are extremely confident, motivated learners.

Children demonstrate high levels of respect for each other and the staff team. Staff help children to think about their emotions, and they listen to each other with interest as they describe how they are feeling. Children interact cooperatively and take turns in their play. They fully understand why rules are in place and follow instructions extremely well. For example, when going to the toilet, they know that they line up and must walk, not run, to avoid accidents. Children have extremely positive attitudes to learning. Staff have very high expectations of children's behaviour, which is impeccable.

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

• The management team are experienced in early years practice. They have devised a curriculum that is clear and purposeful. Managers carry out regular supervisions and appraisals to identify any weaknesses in practice. Staff enjoy working at the nursery and feel very well supported. The manager provides staff with regular coaching and guidance. However, the professional development opportunities provided to staff do not fully reflect their individual training needs and professional aspirations.
• Staff support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities extremely well. They work closely with parents, schools and specialist agencies to promptly identify needs, put plans in place and adjust the environment so that all children can be fully included.
• Staff help children to develop their speaking and listening skills. They have created a language-rich environment where children regularly sing and listen to stories. Staff value talking and there is a constant buzz of animated conversation as children learn. Staff routinely introduce exciting vocabulary, and children enjoy using descriptive words in their play. For example, they say they have drawn an 'enormous owl' and a 'hideous fish'. Children are highly engaged in their learning, and they are fully motivated to improve their speaking skills.
• Children's emerging mathematical skills are supported well. Toddlers sing songs with the numbers one to five, and staff help them to hold up five fingers. Staff support older children to read and write numbers, and they enjoy counting each other as they line up. Children have fun measuring themselves and staff, predicting who is the tallest. Children learn in a playful way, so they are exceptionally eager learners as they increase their mathematical knowledge.
• The staff team promote children's independence skills successfully. They encourage children to 'have a go', giving them plenty of time to succeed before stepping in to help. Children eagerly solve problems for themselves. For example, toddlers persevere to put their coats on, and older children concentrate to fasten zips by themselves. Staff have created a calm learning environment, where children are relaxed, highly focused and increasingly confident in their own abilities.
• Parents strongly recommend the nursery. They say that the team go 'over and above' and take care of the whole family, particularly when times are hard. Parents appreciate the regular communication and advice from the nursery. They say that the staff inspire their children's learning. Parents say that their children 'absolutely love it here'.
• The nursery has close links with the local community and staff invite the dentist, local farmers and road safety support staff to visit the nursery. Children learn about being safe and healthy. Staff take children to regularly visit the library, where they enjoy listening to the librarian who reads stories to them. Staff provide opportunities for children to visit the elderly in a neighbouring building, where they share craft activities and sing songs together with the residents. Children regularly take part in multi-faith celebrations at the on-site church and go for walks to the village centre. Children have very high levels of social skills and are gaining a deep understanding of their local area and community.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• extend the existing arrangements for the staff's professional development to precisely reflect their individual training needs so that practice is of the highest quality.