Playsteps Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are happy and settled in this inclusive setting. They have eager staff on hand who know them and celebrate their achievements. Children enjoy engaging activities planned towards their individual interests and next steps. Children develop close and trusting bonds with the staff, who have a caring and friendly manner. This helps to create a good foundation for children's future development. Children behave very well and talk respectfully of staying out of other children's 'bubbles'. Staff are positive role models and have high expectations of the children's behaviour.

Staff interact warmly with children during care routines such as nappy changes and while washing hands. They talk about what they are doing with the children, make eye contact and sing songs. This helps children to feel safe and secure.

Staff encourage children to be independent. Children learn to pour their own drinks and use a knife safely to butter their own crackers. Children manage their own personal hygiene, for example wiping their noses. Children serve their own food and talk sociably to their friends and staff members.

Children of all ages have access to a well-resourced forest area. Children delightedly explore and relish in the positive interactions from staff. Children have an excellent understanding of risk. The older children are responsible for carrying out safety checks.

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

• Children have access to a good outdoor environment. This helps to promote their physical development, and they demonstrate good progress in this area. For example, older children climb into a hammock and become more confident as they try to navigate the uneven ground. Toddlers develop their balance as they jump from scattered logs. In the baby room, staff are proactive to ensure children are ready to take their first few steps. They encourage babies to climb the steps and slide down safely.
• Staff have ambitious aspirations for all children. They quickly raise any possible risk of delay with parents and other professionals. This helps children to get the support they need as soon as possible.
• Overall, children's communication and language are well supported, including children with a speech delay and children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Staff introduce new words to widen children's vocabulary. They talk to children as they play and ask questions. However, staff in the toddler room do not always support this area, and interactions are weaker in this room.
• Relationships are warm in the baby room. Staff know the children very well and gather information from parents effectively. The curriculum is clear, and staff have a good understanding of what they want children to learn.
• Leaders and staff use their close observations of children well. They identify how children learn best and plan sequenced learning experiences that build on what children already know. For example, children manipulate dough and use tools. This helps to develop the muscles they will need for later writing.
• Parents express high levels of satisfaction with the setting. They state that their children enjoy attending, and they are pleased with their progress. Parents comment that staff are 'caring', 'supportive' and 'welcoming'. The communication with staff is regular, and parents feel well involved in their children's learning.
• The experienced management team shows commitment to improving the nursery. Staff are happy in their role and receive support from the management team on a regular basis. The managers ensure that staff receive regular training and supervision.
• The manager ensures that additional funding, such as early years pupil premium, is well used to promote the well-being and learning of individual children.
• All children, including children with SEND, make good progress. The leadership team works closely with the local authority, staff, parents and external professionals, using assessments of children's individual needs. Staff implement children's individual education plans to close any gaps in children's learning.
• Children are allocated a key person to support their emotional needs. However, at times, the manager does not manage staff absences to further promote continuity in supporting children's emotional well-being.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• strengthen the key-person system to ensure that staff absence does not impact children's well-being
• support staff to develop the quality and consistency of their interactions with children to provide more opportunities for children to think, speak and express themselves.