Play Box Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children enter the nursery happily and quickly settle into the routines of the day. Even the newest children are content and forming attachments with staff. Babies approach staff for cuddles and reassurance. This shows that children feel safe and secure. Young children enjoy shaking and banging musical instruments as staff sing nursery rhymes. Children smile and clap with joy. This helps children with their developing language and coordination skills.

Older children delight in a game of hide and seek. Staff hide letters of the alphabet around the room. Children follow instructions, help their friends and sound out the letters they find. This helps children with their early phonics knowledge and prepares them well for their eventual move to school.

Staff have high expectations for children's behaviour. Children show kindness towards their friends. They are beginning to learn to share. For example, they work together to divide the toy cars between each other. Children intently listen to 'Keith' the puppet, who is teaching them about feelings. They giggle as Keith tells them what makes him feel excited. Staff make good use of props and humour to engage children. This helps children begin to understand different emotions and how to recognise them in an enjoyable way.

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

• Leaders are passionate about the future vision of the nursery, and they regularly reflect on how to make improvements. The recent implementation of a digital app is well received by parents. They feel that communication between home and the nursery is easier and more effective. The sharing of this key information helps children to continue their learning at home and have more opportunities to extend their knowledge.
• Parents speak very highly of the nursery. They comment that their older children were well prepared for the transition to school and say that returning to work was made easier by knowing that they can see what their children are doing from the updates they receive throughout the day. Termly face-to-face parents' meetings help to strengthen communication and build relationships.
• Staff are nurturing children's love of books from an early age. They strategically place books so that the youngest children can access them with ease and turn the pages. Staff are inspiring storytellers. Children explore sensory trays of 'Gruffalo crumble'. Older children join in with the words and run to the 'bear's cave' as they recall and act out the story. Children use their imagination, practise their speaking skills and learn new vocabulary. Building a love for books encourages children to continue reading as they get older.
• Children enjoy going outside every day. They learn to take appropriate physical risks as they climb on the large frame. They negotiate the firefighter's pole and practise balancing on the bars with close supervision from staff. Children beam with pride as they successfully complete tricky tasks. This is teaching them to push their boundaries in a controlled manner. This builds their confidence and self-esteem.
• The quality of teaching is good. Staff gather valuable information when children start. This helps staff to know children well. Interactions between children and staff are warm and meaningful. Staff make sure that all children are included and have equal support. This means that all children feel valued. However, at times, staff ask lots of questions in quick succession, which means that children do not always get the time they need to think and respond.
• Leaders monitor and supervise staff effectively. Staff feel well supported, which is reflected in many being employed at the nursery for a significant time. Staff work well together. This continuity of experienced staff means that there is a supportive peer network throughout the nursery. It also means that children see the same staff and build bonds with their key person.
• Children learn about healthy lifestyles. They eat a balanced and varied diet of freshly prepared meals. Children have access to fresh drinking water. Hand hygiene practice is thorough. Children know to wash their hands before eating to 'kill the germs'. That said, there is further scope for children to build their independence skills. For example, staff tend to wipe children's noses or pour their drinks for them. There are opportunities to allow children to practise doing these things for themselves.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• strengthen the use of effective questioning skills to give children enough time to think deeply and have time to respond
• ensure that staff use every opportunity to encourage children to practise independence with important life skills.