Precious Tots

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The manager and staff are devoted to caring for children at this well-established nursery. They are warm and responsive during their interactions with children. Staff offer children plenty of hugs and cuddles. Children show they feel safe and secure and comfortably approach staff. Babies maintain good eye contact during back-and-forth interactions with their key persons.

Across the nursery, staff model positive play and communication effectively. They patiently listen to children as they speak and share their news. Children show they feel valued. They trust staff and confidently assert their ideas, wishes and preferences.

The manager has devised a broad curriculum. Staff have high expectations for children's communication and language. They teach children to use words, such as 'gigantic' and 'enormous', in the correct context. Staff ensure that children experience a good range of engaging activities across the areas of learning. For example, they support toddlers to explore different textures during sensory play.

Staff encourage children to be expressive. Children enjoy playing musical instruments and joining in with actions during song times. Overall, staff generally model positive behaviours, such as tidying up effectively. This helps children to learn to take care of their surroundings and treat the toys and resources respectfully.

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

• The manager has successfully addressed the actions set at the previous inspection. She has worked closely with the area early years advisor to devise an action plan. For example, the manager has ensured that staff are effectively deployed and follow the nursery's procedure for recording and reporting accidents.
• Staff promote children's good physical development. Children build strong hand muscles and hand-to-eye coordination, such as they practise cutting dough with scissors. Staff help children to build stamina as they enjoy active play outdoors in the open air.
• Overall, children behave well at the nursery. Older children listen to staff and focus very well during adult-led activities. However, staff do not communicate consistent expectations of where active play is most appropriate to individual younger children. This does not help all children to develop a secure understanding of staff's expectations which they are capable of.
• Staff promote children's good self-care skills as they encourage thorough handwashing. Older children maturely wash their own bowls after eating their snacks. Staff assign children roles, such as being a 'table captain'. Children enjoy holding these roles and having responsibilities for small tasks.
• Staff provide good support for children's developing language. They label objects, comment on children's actions and emphasise key vocabulary. Therefore, babies move from babbling and gesturing to intentional speech. Older children speak using well-structured sentences.
• The manager provides training for staff to support children's recognition and pronunciation of letters and their sounds. However, this needs revisiting so that all staff support and teach children's early literacy to the highest standard.
• Staff promote children's early mathematical and problem-solving skills exceptionally well. Children learn to solve problems involving subtraction. They learn to recognise small quantities without counting them.
• Children enjoy their mealtimes. Staff sit with children as they eat. Children learn good table manners and how to handle cutlery well. They enjoy a good range of healthy meals, which include plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables.
• Parents are extremely happy with the quality of care and they value the community feel within the setting. They appreciate the online system that staff use to provide regular updates on their children's progress. Parents feel their children are very well prepared for starting school. They describe staff as, 'genuine persons who really care about children'.
• Staff have a good understanding of their general roles and responsibilities. Staff feel they are well supported by the manager. They have opportunities to complete professional development training and say their workloads are manageable.
• The manager is a reflective leader who is committed to identifying areas that need further improvement. For example, she has ensured that children benefit from increased outdoor mark-making activities. The manager has revised arrangements for younger children's group-time activities. Children are split into smaller groups so staff can provide individual support and attention. This has improved children's concentration and focus during adult-led circle times.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• communicate consistent expectations for where individual younger children's active play is appropriate, so they all develop a secure understanding of staff's expectations which they are capable of
• enhance support for staff so they promote and teach all aspects of children's early literacy to the highest standard.