Playbox Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children show excitement as they arrive at the nursery. Staff equally greet children with enthusiasm, taking a genuine interest in the children and their families. Staff ensure that children's views and opinions are heard. For example, before story time, staff enable children to vote on which book they would like staff to read. Children vote by raising their hand on which one they prefer. In the event of a split vote, staff read one book choice in the morning and the other in the afternoon to role model equality.

Staff know the children exceptionally well and celebrate their uniqueness. They plan their curriculum effectively and implement it well to ensure children make strong progress. All children learn to be independent. Younger children understand the importance of looking after resources and tidying away. They use their hands to pretend they are binoculars, looking for items to put away. Children confidently use a dustpan and brush to sweep the floor and put toys back where they belong. Older children are self-sufficient. They pour their own drinks from ceramic jugs at snack time and manage their own personal needs well, such as toileting, wiping their noses and disposing of their tissues independently.

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

• The nursery has formed strong relationships with parents. They encourage families to be actively involved in children's learning, such as enabling children to take home the 'travelling teddy bear'. Children enjoy the responsibility of looking after the bear, taking it to places within their community. They develop a sense of belonging and talk to their peers about the adventures they have had. Children enjoy sharing the photos and develop their confidence as they speak within a group.
• Leaders and staff are passionate about their role and ways to continuously develop children's learning. They use close links with members of the community to expand children's knowledge and skills. For instance, children engage in fun activities, such as making fingerprint patterns using ink with the assistance of local police. Children learn about the emergency services and people who help them.
• The nursery provides a toddler group twice a week, which is run by staff. Parents stay with their children to engage in a range of activities. This enables children and staff to get to know one another and form close relationships. When it is time for children to join the nursery, they settle quickly as they are familiar with staff.
• Children take a keen interest in nature and the world around them. When they find minibeasts outdoors, they quickly use a factual book to find out which bug they have found. They use their magnifying glasses to take a closer look. The nursery has a giant African land snail that children look after and develop an understanding of how to care for it.
• Staff help children to develop their hand-eye coordination, such as chopping fruit and vegetables. Younger children learn how to hold the safety knives carefully and how to cut around plums at snack time. Older children enjoy peeling Brussels sprouts to use for their 'Gruffalo soup'.
• Children enjoy story time and maintain their attention for long periods of time. Staff keep them consistently engaged by changing their voice and actively encouraging children to join in. Other children use magnetic boards to begin to form letters of the alphabet. Staff talk to them about the initial letters in their name. All staff use effective questioning techniques, but occasionally, they do not extend and provide further challenges to build on children's overall knowledge.
• Staff ensure that children receive daily opportunities to be outside in the fresh air, where they develop their physical skills effectively. Children use large arm movements as they create drawings with chalk on the wall. Others show skill in carefully pouring water from one container to another. Some children enjoy carrying and balancing wooden planks across crates while older children play in the 'secret garden', developing their climbing abilities.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• extend children's learning further and provide them with consistent challenges to help them make even more progress.