Planet Tiny Babies

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Young children are happy and benefit well from attending this caring, nurturing provision. There is an effective key-person system that supports babies to feel nurtured and supported as they settle into the nursery. Babies develop close bonds with staff, particularly their key person. Staff work closely in partnership with parents, ensuring key information is shared to further strengthen children's transition. There is a strong emphasis on developing communication and language within the curriculum. Staff use multiple effective strategies to promote babies' emerging voices. For example, they provide a running commentary as babies play, describing what they are doing. Babies really enjoy singing sessions with staff. They are becoming familiar with nursery rhymes and props from the song bag. Staff are building the skills needed for children to be confident communicators.

Staff have high expectations for every child. They are good role models and are clear and consistent when teaching children behavioural expectations. For instance, they gently remind children to have 'kind hands' and not to climb on furniture. Babies' freedom to explore is promoted well. There are times during the day when staff create a free-flow environment. This enables babies to crawl and walk to play in the outdoor area and follow their interests. Staff deploy themselves effectively so they can support children's chosen play and ensure their safety.

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

• Staff plan a stimulating, age-appropriate curriculum that intrigues younger children, encouraging them to explore and have a go. The current theme of animals helps children to learn about the world around them. They access one-handed tools, such as brushes, to clean the toy elephants that have been stomping around in soil. Babies have tremendous fun exploring their sense of touch, taste and smell as they are supported to juice oranges. They are introduced to new words, such as 'sweet' and 'sour', as they taste the freshly squeezed juice they have made.
• Babies are captivated when using their imagination and being creative. They enthusiastically shake their musical instruments as staff sing them familiar songs. Young children access rice and pasta in the role-play area. They strengthen their hand-eye coordination as they pour the dried food into various containers.
• Babies are provided with good opportunities to experience new things and to develop skills that they need for their next stage of development. For example, staff take children on trips to Alexandra Palace Park and the local fire station. This helps to broaden children's understanding of their local environment.
• The nursery provides a broad range of healthy snacks and meals daily. Staff are proactive in talking to children about what they are eating and the health benefits. This helps to support children's increasing awareness of a healthy lifestyle. Babies' independence is encouraged by staff, especially at mealtimes. For example, staff encourage older children to be increasingly independent by feeding themselves with spoons.
• Staff regularly observe and assess their key children's abilities. They use their findings to create next steps to help children strengthen their further areas of development. This helps children to make good progress in relation to their starting points.
• Parent partnerships are good. Parents are kept well informed about their children's progress through daily conversations with staff and access to online systems. They praise staff highly for the good care they take of their children. Parents comment, 'They always find new and innovative ways to keep babies entertained.'
• The management team places high priority on staff well-being. Managers foster an environment for staff to feel happy and well supported in their roles and responsibilities. They highly value the staff's professional development. For example, staff receive good support to extend their knowledge and skills through appropriate training. They have completed courses on subjects such as biting in the early years, loose-parts play, risky play, 'Every Child a Talker' and in-the-moment planning. This helps to develop their teaching and assessment skills to improve outcomes for children.
• The management team regularly completes self-evaluation to identify areas for improvement in the nursery. The team has identified areas for improvement in helping babies to develop their large motor skills. However, this is not yet fully embedded into everyday practice.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• increase opportunities further for babies to develop their large physical movements.