Portico Poppets

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The outstanding care and the bonds that children make with staff at the nursery have an extremely positive effect on their future. Children cuddle staff members when they arrive and excitedly share news from home. Staff respond quickly to information shared from home, such as a baby taking their first steps. They immediately plan activities to support growing physical skills. This helps to ensure that the strong link between home and nursery continually develops.

Children have access to a well-resourced and meticulously planned outdoor environment. They engage in challenging physical activities. They use tricycles to transport crates to build a bridge. Staff suggest adding cones and introducing 'stop' and 'go' as part of their play. Children excitedly respond to these ideas and shout instructions to each other. Younger children are supported to climb across the bridge by caring and encouraging staff.

Staff work extremely closely with parents and build excellent relationships from the start. Because of the very close relationships, parents are more able to share any issues that are worrying them. The impact of this is that outcomes significantly improve for children.

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

• Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are extremely well supported. Staff quickly identify if children need extra support with their learning. They take prompt action to discuss this support with parents, and use the exceptionally good links they have with other professionals to work closely with them. This ensures that all children receive consistent, high-quality care and make excellent progress. Additional funding is used well. The manager precisely finds resources, such as sensory balls, which help to promote children's brain development and support their individual needs.
• Staff know all children exceptionally well. Planning and assessment of children's learning are well designed and evaluated regularly. The carefully planned curriculum provides children with rich, motivating learning experiences to ensure that every child's progress is maximised. Staff ensure there are continuous opportunities for children's ongoing language development. Each activity that is planned for children has a vocabulary list for staff, to ensure that children hear an abundance of new words. Even the youngest children can be heard repeating and using new words. This ensures a solid foundation for future learning.
• Staff skilfully support all children to manage their feelings. There is a sharp focus on teaching children to share and how to regulate their behaviour. Staff support children in understanding strategies to help manage emotions. Children who are feeling overwhelmed can take themselves to a calm area, and staff model deep breathing. Children are successful in recognising when they need to relax or calm down.
• Staff positively support children to develop a strong understanding of healthy foods. At snack time, children talk about the foods they like and enjoy. Staff skilfully encourage them to make connections between the colours of food and their health benefits. Children learn new words, such as 'calcium' and 'iron', to broaden their knowledge. They confidently engage in these conversations and learn to recognise healthy foods.
• Staff are enthusiastic about new training and how this has an impact on the environment and their knowledge. For example, staff access training on the use of natural resources. They observe that toddlers transport resources around the room. At staff meetings they discuss and evaluate the impact of the training and continually make changes to the environment. As a result, children make excellent progress in their ability to stay engaged in their play.
• The management team is completely dedicated to the children and families in its care. Additional support is offered to families experiencing hardships. The management team provided a free meal service for families during lockdown. The manager works tirelessly to further strengthen the secure link between home and the nursery. This ensures the highest possible outcome is reached for all children.
• Leaders and staff continually reflect on their practice. The manager places a strong emphasis on enhancing staff's already excellent skills. She is passionate about her own and the team's professional development. The manager provides regular coaching to ensure that all staff consistently deliver the highest quality of teaching. She utilises the skills of the more experienced staff to mentor and support new staff. Their well-being is given a high priority and their ongoing development is individually personalised by the manager. Staff report that they do not feel overloaded and are very well supported by the manager.
• Children remember what they have learned over time and this is demonstrated in their play. For example, they recall learning about Buckingham Palace during the Queen's Platinum Jubilee. They use this knowledge to enthusiastically suggest building a castle out of cardboard boxes.