Playmates Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

This is a highly inclusive nursery where children flourish. Staff take time to build positive relationships with the children. This helps build a clear sense of belonging and community throughout the nursery. Parents recognise what a special place this nursery is. They comment on the caring environment and the support that their children experience.

Children happily come into nursery. They understand the routines and enjoy choosing which area to play in. The nursery has high expectations of behaviour that children strive to meet. Staff encourage them to be considerate and polite. They skilfully support children to take turns and to share toys. Children learn the words to use to express their emotions and to talk about how they feel.

Children achieve well because of the ambitious curriculum that leaders have developed. Staff know in detail what children must learn and take every opportunity to explain new vocabulary. Children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), are encouraged to persevere and have a go if attempting something new. For example, children take part in planned sensory food sessions to promote and encourage them to explore different food textures or tastes. Staff skilfully introduce vocabulary such as 'juicy' as children cut open oranges with safety knifes.

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

• The nursery's curriculum has been designed with careful thought and consideration. Staff follow and use children's interests as the basis for the curriculum. When children first join the nursery, home visits and well-planned transition sessions, which are attended with their parents, help children to quickly become familiar with their key worker and the nursery.
• Inclusion is at the heart of the nursery's work. The nursery has prioritised children's wider development. There is a clear and convincing desire to provide opportunities for children to broaden their horizons through the curriculum and beyond. The nursery identifies many ways for children to experience different cultures and religions through their time at the nursery. They learn about different festivals, such as Diwali, and visit places of worship, such as temples.
• Staff have high expectations for children's personal and social development. Lots of opportunities are provided to embody the values of the nursery, including being kind and respectful. Staff adapt their approaches to supporting children and use a range of resources, such as visual cards, to help children identify their emotions. As a result, children are learning to be considerate and polite.
• Leaders have the same high expectations for children with SEND as they do for all others. Children with SEND are exceptionally well catered for. Staff tailor activities and the environment so that children with SEND learn the same curriculum as other children and achieve as well as they can. They build effective relationships with families, even before children start at the nursery. Staff work closely with parents, external partners and specialists.
• Children access a variety of opportunities, such as trips to visit the local community and experiences within. These are carefully planned by staff to build children's confidence and skills. For example, children take part in visits to the local community, building the skills they need to explore beyond the local area and use local transport to visit places, such as the pet shop. These rich opportunities help children to learn more about the world around them and to develop new interests.
• Staff enjoy working at the nursery. They said that leaders consider their well-being and workload. They value the high-quality professional development they receive, which has enabled them to become effective practitioners.
• Leaders are reflective and ambitious. They have engaged in wider curriculum programmes to support both staff and children in developing new skills. For instance, the nursery has recently enrolled in a communication and literacy programme to extend opportunities for children. However, at times, systems to mentor less experienced staff in embedding these practices are not utilised to their full potential. Therefore, on occasion, not all staff utilise every opportunity to deepen children's knowledge and understanding while they play.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• strengthen support for staff to develop their knowledge and skills to ensure greater consistency in practice and fully support children's learning to an even higher level.