Popcorn Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children enjoy their day at the nursery. They develop warm and friendly relationships with the manager, staff and each other. Children ask after each other's welfare, check on their well-being and, if anything is wrong, they will approach staff to make sure their friends get the attention they need. Staff are attentive to children's needs and create a caring, nurturing environment. They allow children to explore things for themselves, but teach children to ask for help when they need it. This enables children to thrive as individuals at the nursery and grow into independent learners.

The curriculum is broad and introduces children to a wide range of topics and experiences that build on what they know and can do. Children are well prepared for the move to school. For example, they wash their hands before and after mealtimes without prompting. They manage their lunch boxes, put their 'work' in their cubby holes and hang their coats up on their named pegs.

Children behave very well. They listen and follow instructions. They sit well together on the mat at group times and are learning to respect when it is other children's time to speak. Children participate well in discussions. They discuss what the weather is doing, and staff listen to them and value their views.

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

• Children learn good manners and often share well without prompting. They take turns at games and understand that they can all have a go if they wait patiently. Staff are very good at reinforcing good manners and social skills. They demonstrate patience and care, and the children respond positively.
• Children have fun when staff participate in their play. All staff are good role models. For example, staff clearly explain and follow the rules of the game 'musical statues'. Staff accept when they are 'out', and as a result, children are learning that sometimes people win and sometimes they lose. All the children respond positively and are praised for their efforts. This helps children to develop resilience.
• Children's voices are heard. Staff frequently ask children for their views and to make choices. Together, children discuss their favourite foods, the colours they wish to use for their drawings, what they would like to name a bug and which puzzles and songs they would like. Staff support these conversations well, and children are all given the time and space to participate.
• Children are encouraged to lead their own play. Staff make sure that children can access a wide range of resources, toys and games, and children happily self-select. However, the presentation of the reading corner does not entice the children to explore books or ask the staff to read to them. As a result, children's love of stories and reading is not strongly promoted at the nursery.
• Staff plan activities within weekly topics at regular staff meetings. Activities cover all seven areas of learning and take account of the children's interests. Staff know what they intend children to learn from the activities. However, individual children's next steps in learning are not always shared with parents. As a result, parents do not have the opportunity to align their support for children's development at home with the work of the nursery staff.
• Children's mathematical development is considered as part of all planned activities. Children are encouraged to count throughout the day. Some children can count up to 100 before they go to school. Children of all ages join in when counting the king's soldiers they have knocked down in the Humpty Dumpty computer game. They count jigsaw pieces and solve simple puzzles posed by the staff, such as when staff ask, 'We have three children that want to play, so how many cushions do we need?' during a game.
• Children play outdoors every day. They are developing physical skills as they ride, run, climb, dance and dig with spades. Children are learning how to keep themselves safe. For example, staff demonstrate how to use spades when digging for minibeasts and how to use the new climbing equipment.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• review the way that books are displayed and used at the setting to encourage children's love of reading
• ensure parents are aware of children's next steps in their learning and development so that they can support these at home.