Praise Childcare Forest Hill

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children enjoy coming into nursery and settle easily. They are warmly welcomed by caring staff, who know children well. Staff pay attention to children, recognise their feelings and comfort them when they are upset. This means children feel secure and form positive attachments with staff.

Staff have high expectations for children's learning. They plan activities that children are interested in and use what they like to challenge them further. For example, children are showing an interest in cars, so staff ask relevant questions that promote and extend children's conversations about the different types of cars and the sounds they make. This means children enjoy taking part in the activities and are making progress in their learning.

Children have good friendships and engage with each other well. They are encouraged to help each other and invited to contribute with their ideas. Staff listen to and value children's contributions. As a result, children feel valued. They practise and explore new words and develop skills that they need to be confident communicators.

Children develop their physical skills well. They have ample opportunities to exercise their large muscles. The nursery provides equipment such as different-sized climbing frames, bikes and balancing steps. This supports children's different age group needs.

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

• The manager ensures that teaching and learning are sequenced and children take part in a range of activities that help them to progress gradually. For example, young children explore the different tastes of fruits, while older children learn how to make fruit smoothies.
• Staff provide a range of opportunities for children to develop their language. They model language well by reading stories, using flashcards and having a constant flow of conversation between them and the children. This helps children to broaden their vocabulary.
• Staff help children to remember what they have already learned and challenge their understanding of new concepts, such as floating and sinking. They encourage children to come up with their own ideas and test their thinking about what might happen. As a result, children build even further on their critical-thinking skills.
• Staff know what they want children to learn and plan activities accordingly. However, on occasion, some staff move activities along too quickly. For instance, they try to cover too many concepts in one activity. This means that some children do not develop an in-depth understanding of each individual aspect.
• Children behave well and understand what is expected of them. They are learning how to share and take turns and staff model this behaviour well. Children understand the routine and take part in tidying up. They are warned of any changes in advance, such as who will be collecting them that day or that nappy changes will happen soon.
• Children are proud of their achievements and staff praise them for their efforts. Staff and children have good relationships and staff promote their independence well. Older children are encouraged to take their coats off by themselves and young babies easily reach and choose the toys they want to play with.
• Children learn about how to keep themselves safe. Staff teach them how to climb up the climbing frame safely. However, some staff miss opportunities to remind children about how to use equipment safely, such as before they use tools to cut fruits.
• Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, those who speak English as an additional language and children who receive additional funding have good levels of support. Staff work well with outside agencies and parents to meet children's needs. As a result, all children make good progress.
• Supervision meetings and discussions around professional development happen regularly. Staff say that they are well supported in their roles. They have regular training in relevant areas, such as safeguarding, child protection and children's development.
• Parent partnerships are good. They speak highly of the staff, the care they give to their children and the way the manager promotes this partnership. They receive information about their children's learning and advice on how to help them with their next steps, such as toilet training.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• consider how many topics are covered during activities to support children's in- depth learning
• make further use of discussion to remind children about how to use equipment safely.