Playaway Nursery (SRCC)

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children form positive relationships and strong attachments with practitioners and other children. They are happy and enjoy their time in this friendly and welcoming nursery. This demonstrates that children feel safe and secure. Young children show curiosity and interest while exploring their learning environment. Practitioners support children to develop an awareness of others and start to develop friendships. Older children show an eagerness to learn. This creates a secure foundation for their future learning.

Practitioners actively participate in children's play. They ask questions and use appropriate vocabulary to extend children's learning and build on their knowledge. Practitioners are good role models for children. They demonstrate respectful actions and communication. For example, practitioners ask children before changing their nappies and inform children about what will happen next in their day. Practitioners communicate with each other well. For instance, they keep each other informed when they leave the room and pass on key information about children. This good practice encourages positive interactions between children.

Practitioners prepare children well for their transitions from one room to another and for school. They ensure that children have the skills they need to manage the more challenging routines and activities. For example, children who are preparing for their move to the pre-school room learn to use a fork and drink from a cup without a lid. Children who are preparing for school start to recognise and write letters in their name.

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

• Leaders plan an ambitious curriculum and support practitioners to deliver this effectively. Practitioners plan carefully for each individual child, using children's interests and starting points in development. They observe and monitor children's development to identify any emerging gaps in their development. Practitioners use this information to plan the best way to support children to meet their next steps in learning.
• All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), make good progress in their learning and development. The provision for children with SEND is good. The special educational needs coordinator (SENCo) works closely with practitioners, parents and other professionals to plan for each child's learning needs and work together effectively. Practitioners use funding appropriately to provide resources, experiences and extra support for those children who need it. This helps children to develop new skills and meet their targets.
• Practitioners support children who speak English as an additional language well.
• They gather key words in children's home languages and use objects and visual cards to support their communication. Practitioners learn about children's cultures, traditions and religions and ensure that they celebrate each child's culture. Children access books and resources that reflect different families, people, abilities and cultures.
• Practitioners role model language for children. They speak clearly and repeat back what children say with the correct grammar and pronunciation. Younger children are exposed to lots of language from practitioners through talking, singing and stories. Older children use full sentences and a wide vocabulary. Practitioners introduce new words, such as 'hydrate', to extend children's good vocabulary further. Children openly communicate their thoughts and decisions. For example, they tell the inspector why they changed their mind and chose to play with the bicycles instead of the hoppers.
• Children have access to various outdoor spaces to get fresh air and explore moving in different ways. Children use a range of equipment indoors and outdoors, such as climbing frames, slides and bicycles, to help to develop their large muscles. Children have opportunities to strengthen their smaller muscles to support their fine motor and writing skills. For example, they manipulate play dough and pour and fill during sand and water play.
• Practitioners do not consistently support children to recognise their feelings to extend their personal, social and emotional development. During group times, practitioners ask children how they feel, for example when singing the 'Hello' song. However, staff do not consistently acknowledge children's feelings during everyday situations, such as minor conflicts with their friends. This impacts on how children learn to manage and explain their own feelings.
• Practitioners have high expectations for children's behaviour. They promote children's positive behaviour through praise, encouraging turn-taking and sharing, and implementing the 'golden rules' in the nursery. Children demonstrate kindness towards others.
• Parents speak highly of the level of care which their children receive. They say they feel supported by the managers and are signposted to other professionals when needed.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• develop further strategies to support children's understanding of feelings to enhance their understanding of themselves and others.