Precious Gems Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The calm and nurturing staff welcome children warmly when they arrive at the setting. They quickly establish strong bonds with the children, who turn to them for comfort and fun in equal measures. Staff provide consistent routines that wholly meet the needs of children and babies. This gives children an environment in which they can relax and play happily, knowing their needs will be met effectively and in a timely manner.

Staff plan a curriculum that supports children's learning from the outset. They know them well and they provide an appropriate range of stimulating activities that reflect children's interests and stages of development. They notice when children are at risk of falling behind in their learning and quickly put in extra support to help them make progress. They use any additional funding to provide resources tailored to the needs of individual children. This helps all children make progress towards the next stage in their education.

Children demonstrate positive attitudes to learning and behave well. They are highly focused and creative when they explore the environment and resources. Staff give children time to experiment and make their own discoveries, letting them learn from their mistakes and successes. This drives children's enthusiasm and motivation to know more, building curiosity and a lifelong love of learning.

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

• Leaders failed to notify Ofsted of a significant event. Although this breaches a requirement of their registration, this oversight has had no impact on children's safety or learning. They are now fully aware of their duty to report significant events to Ofsted.
• Leaders and staff ensure the curriculum for children's learning is well-sequenced. They frequently share information about children's assessments and achievements with each other. This means staff adapt their teaching effectively to help children make good progress in their learning.
• Staff plan stimulating activities that promote children's thinking and problem-solving skills. For instance, they encourage older children to experiment using a variety of ingredients to make 'volcanoes', while young babies persevere with solving shape-sorters. They let children learn through discovery and trial and error, without over-directing their play. This helps deepen children's understanding, creativity and knowledge.
• Staff implement routines that support children's health, safety and independence skills. For instance, they organise mealtimes, outdoor play and sleep times to help children develop healthy habits, such as washing their hands before eating, taking part in physical exercise and having adequate rest. Staff ensure routines meet the changing needs of babies, ensuring they experience a nurturing and relaxed atmosphere.
• Children delight in the many sensory experiences that staff provide. Staff act as 'co-explorers' with them to extend their learning. They introduce new vocabulary, songs and ideas to develop children's speaking and stimulate conversations. For instance, babies repeat 'splash' when they have fun in the water tray, while older children talk about 'lava' and 'eruptions' when they make pretend volcanoes.
• Children are familiar with their local community, such as when they visit the care home to share activities with the residents or take walks to the park. However, staff do not plan a curriculum that fully reflects the cultures, lives and languages of others. This does not help children to gain a greater understanding of the world and life in modern Britain.
• Staff use every opportunity to introduce children to mathematical concepts. For example, they count, add and subtract when playing musical chairs. Staff use mathematical language to describe weight, position and shape while young children play.
• Children confidently use smart technology to play their favourite songs online. However, staff do not help children understand when to seek consent from an adult before playing the songs. This does not teach children simple rules that reinforce how they can keep themselves safe online in the setting and at home.
• Staff foster strong partnerships with parents from the outset, offering home visits to parents before children start to establish good links between home and the setting. Parents are kept well informed about their children's learning.
• The dedicated leaders regularly review staff's teaching to give them the support and training they need to be successful. Staff are highly motivated and contribute to a positive and productive environment. They prioritise children's interests and well-being in all interactions with parents and other professionals involved in children's care.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• develop the curriculum to help children explore the different languages, cultures and backgrounds that reflect their lives and the lives of others in modern Britain
• provide children with information to help them understand how they can use online devices safely.