Plume Avenue Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

There have been clear improvements since the last inspection. The provider has embraced support from the local authority and has worked hard to implement the required changes. Staff have been supported through ongoing training and staff meetings. As a result, the whole team is motivated and continues to reflect on the service it provides to ensure the best possible outcomes for children.

Children are happy and enjoy their time in the setting. Staff are polite and respectful to children and are good role models. They are attentive to the needs of the children, who approach them for support, comfort, or to share their news. Staff have high expectations for children's behaviour and have implemented positive behaviour strategies. As a result, children behave well.

The team has reflected on the learning they provide for the children and have implemented an ambitious curriculum for all children who attend. Staff know the children well and can devise appropriate next steps to support their development. Children spend extended periods engaging in activities. They lead and develop their play as they wish. Staff use their interactions during these times to promote the next steps in children's learning. As a result, all children, make progress from their starting points.

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

• Staff provide a range of activities and experiences children are eager to participate in that link to their developmental needs. They engage with children during play and extend their learning and promote their next steps. Staff interact well with children during their play. However, leaders recognise that continued support is required to raise the quality of staff interactions to an even higher level.
• Changes have been made to the environment to suit the needs of the children. The staff communicate well with each other throughout the day. This helps the session to run smoothly and ensures staff are well deployed to meet the needs of children during transition times and play.
• Staff support children's emerging communication skills well. They provide a narrative as children play and name items they are using. Staff extend what children say by repeating it back and adding more words. Staff use mathematical language during play. For example, when children are playing, staff use 'big' and 'long' to describe the resources they are using. Staff recognise and act upon children's non-verbal cues.
• Children enjoy sharing stories with the staff. They snuggle into the staff as stories are read to them. Staff re-read stories over and over at the children's request. They encourage children to talk about what they see in the pictures and ask what they think will happen next. Stories are used to introduce concepts such as kindness and early counting. This helps children develop a love of stories and books.
• Staff provide activities that develop children's physical skills. They build their large motor skills by encouraging them to play ball games and teaching them how to roll large hoops. Children's fine motor skills are promoted during activities where they complete jigsaws and use play dough to make 'shark's teeth'. Children are provided with plenty of mark making opportunities. They use sand, chalk and magnetic boards to make marks. Staff introduce mark making during play. For example, when children are pretending to go shopping, staff suggest that they write a shopping list and support them.
• Partnerships with parents are strong. Parents report that their children are happy and settled and that their individual needs are met. They feel that their children are making progress in their development. They are well-informed about the activities their children participate in during the day. However, some parents are unsure of the next steps their children are working towards. This means they are unable to support their children's learning at home to help them make even more progress.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• continue to develop the quality of staff interactions with children to help them challenge and extend children's learning even further
• strengthen the arrangements to share information with parents about their child's next steps in learning.