Precious Moments

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children at this nursery immerse themselves in the fun, educational opportunities offered by staff. They benefit from a well-designed curriculum, which aims to prepare children for their next stage of learning. Children are very confident and independent. Staff encourage them to make choices in their play and complete tasks, such as handwashing and using the toilet themselves.

Children enjoy the multitude of opportunities provided for them to enhance their physical skills. Staff offer a free-flow learning environment, where children can choose to play indoor or outdoors throughout the day. Outdoors, they have access to a climbing wall, a raised tree-house den, and a purpose-built soft-play hut. Staff support children to take risks and navigate the space around them. They encourage children to climb on equipment and walk over large soft blocks, which supports the development of their gross motor skills. Children use the outdoor area frequently and benefit from spending time in fresh air.

Children's behaviour is impressive. They show a keenness in the activities which are planned for them and learn to take turns and play together. They make friends and develop strong relationships with staff.

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

• Leaders have designed a curriculum which places an emphasis on children's communication development. Following the impact from the COVID-19 pandemic, leaders have accurately identified gaps in children's communication and language and have applied a strong focus on helping children to make progress in this area. The environment is rich in language and a lending library is offered to parents. This helps children to take an interest in books and develop their early literacy skills.
• Staff plan activities based on children's interests and what they need to learn next. They explain the learning intentions of activities confidently. However, staff do not always fully implement these intentions precisely enough through their teaching. That said, children make progress and benefit from the consequential learning the activities provide.
• Staff provide a wealth of exciting opportunities for children. They interact with them during their play and help to extend their knowledge and skills. There are times, however, when some personal needs of children are overlooked by staff and not responded to promptly. For example, children repeat on a number of occasions that they are cold, or are taken from the table at mealtimes without staff being certain that they have finished eating. That said, children are safe, and staff show care and affection towards them.
• Children behave well in this nursery. They follow well-established routines and show that they feel safe and confident in the environment. Staff create opportunities for children to learn how to share with others. They talk calmly to children when they struggle to regulate their emotions, and help them to settle quickly. Children are happy to play together and share resources with one another.
• Children enjoy using their imagination. They use pretend makeup and hair products to imitate being in a salon. They learn to develop a positive sense of themselves as they use mirrors to view their new hair styles. Children smile as staff tell them they look beautiful. Staff plan the role-play area to allow children to make links to their experiences of home. Children hang clothes on a washing line and take on different family roles in their play.
• Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are well supported. Staff identify gaps in children's development and act swiftly to put support in place which helps them to make progress.
• Leaders have a good oversight of the nursery. Staff feel supported, both personally and professionally. They engage in regular supervision meetings, and leaders make good use of peer observations to identify suitable development opportunities. This ensures that the knowledge and skills of staff are continually improving.
• Parents comment very highly about the care their children receive. They feel valued and listened to. They say that children are happy to attend and are making good progress. They mention the support they receive as a family, and the ideas they are provided with to help enhance their children's learning at home. Parents develop good relationships with staff, and describe them as going 'above and beyond' for their children.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• help staff to understand how to implement learning intentions into activities more precisely, so that children make even better progress
• support staff to recognise and respond to children's personal needs more efficiently.