Pixies Day Nursery and Pixies Too Ltd

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children eagerly take part in activities and show enthusiasm for their learning. For example, outside, toddlers practise skills while having fun as they play with water. Staff encourage their independence, such as fetching water for the activity. Children use their physical skills to tip the water down a drainpipe. Children have access to interesting resources, which promotes their curiosity and imagination. For example, large cardboard boxes and sensory materials. Babies enjoy spinning shiny discs hanging from the trees, reaching up to move these. Staff join in well with children's self-chosen play, helping to build on their learning.

Children settle easily and quickly on arrival. They receive warm care and attention from staff, who offer positive praise and encouragement. This helps to build children's self-esteem and confidence securely. Children develop a good understanding of the behaviour expectations. For instance, toddlers know they need to walk when going outside. In addition, staff explain clearly to children why they need to do something. Children develop their independence well. Pre-school children serve their own lunch and younger children learn to clean their own hands before eating.

Children develop a good range of skills to support their future learning. Children who need some extra help receive good support. For example, through focused language group activities. These particularly help children who have delays in their communication and language, and those who speak English as an additional language.

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

• The management team have a clear curriculum and staff implement the learning intentions securely. Staff sequence their support for children's learning over time. Children gain skills and knowledge to become ready to start school. Pre-school children demonstrated this during a music activity where they 'beat out' the number of syllables in their names. They used their good understanding of numbers and letters during the activity.
• Children build on their independence and physical skills well. For instance, babies learn to feed themselves with a spoon. As children move through the rooms, this progresses to pre-school children competently using a knife and fork to cut up their own food. At times, staff do not manage changes in the routines as well as possible. This means that for short periods of time, some children lose interest and do not engage as well in their learning.
• Children have positive relationships with staff and each other. Children learn to be kind and respect others. For example, older children begin to learn how to work and listen to each other during group activities. The effective key-person system supports children to feel safe and secure. Children receive good support when they move rooms. This helps them get to know their new key person and room before they move, promoting their sense of well-being effectively.
• Staff work with parents and other professionals to provide a consistent approach to meeting children's individual learning needs. Staff follow the guidance from other professionals to help set targets for children's development. They use effective processes to regularly monitor and assess all children's progress. This helps them to identify and respond to any gaps in children's development quickly. Staff carefully consider the use of additional funding, including using this to buy new resources and provide staff training. This helps staff to provide effective support for children's needs.
• Parents and carers speak highly about the nursery and the support staff offer them and their children. The strong partnerships support children's learning at home, other settings and at the nursery effectively. For instance, there is ongoing communication between staff, parents and carers about children's needs. In addition, children take home books to read from the nursery library.
• The management team and staff are identifying what they want to improve. Together, they are making improvements to enhance children's experiences. Staff state they receive very good support from the management team, including advice and training. They have regular discussions and meetings to support them in their work. On occasion, a small number of staff, who are responsible for a staff team, do not model effective practice consistently. This does not help build other staff's professional development as effectively as possible.
• Staff encourage children to develop a can-do attitude, which helps to build their resilience. For example, children are encouraged to try and taste foods they are not keen on. All ages of children experience challenges, such as when outdoors. This includes learning to negotiate the slope while riding different types of wheeled toys, including balance bicycles.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• review how changes of the daily routine are managed, to provide more support to children who need it to help keep them engaged and interested, to further support their learning and development
• build on the practice of staff who have responsibilities to lead other team members, to ensure they consistently model good or better practice, to support other staff's professional development, to help raise the overall quality of the provision even further.