Presmere Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children and babies feel at home and comfortable at this well-established nursery. The staff create a calm, happy and well-organised atmosphere. Outside, children get lots of fresh air and exercise. Staff engage children in games which encourage them to run around and negotiate spaces with their friends. Babies receive sensitive care, including plenty of cuddles from staff who understand their needs and how to support their learning. There are always staff on hand to chat to, support and guide children as they play and learn. Consequently, children's behaviour towards one another is very positive and episodes of unwanted behaviour are very rare. A dedicated member of staff plans and prepares healthy, balanced, freshly prepared cooked meals on site. Children are taught good table manners and learn to use their cutlery well during social mealtimes.

Children benefit from warm and positive interactions with adults and each other. Older children in particular engage well in adult-led activities, which staff creatively and imaginatively design to help them gain new skills and knowledge. Children concentrate well and confidently identify patterns and numbers as they take turns, listening attentively to what adults say to them.

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

• The nursery is safe and secure. The indoor areas of the nursery are particularly inviting and well arranged to help children explore and investigate what captures their interest. Children enjoy using their imagination on a role-play 'bus' or in the outdoor role-play kitchen. Children run about enthusiastically with their friends as they and staff pretend that long strips of paper are snakes.
• Parents value the nursery and say that it is well led and that their children flourish. They are very well informed about all aspects of children's learning. For example, staff share their regular assessments of children's communication skills with parents. Parents report that their children have lots of positive things to say about their varied and interesting day-to-day experiences.
• The curriculum is well designed to support children to develop in all areas of their learning. However, sometimes during routine interactions, teaching does not maximise opportunities to learn. For example, at times, staff do not extend their discussions with children, or present new information to help children build further on their existing knowledge.
• Children's emerging literacy is supported. They enjoy looking at books together with staff. Parents are encouraged to borrow books from a library to read with their child at home. However, younger children are less well engaged at busier times of the day, such as group story time. The book chosen for them and the size of the group make it more difficult for younger children to join in and they tend to get distracted.
• Children, including babies, enjoy making marks and exploring different types of materials. Older children in particular enjoy beginning to recognise each other's names, as staff show them and read them with them. Children also begin to write recognisable letters to label their artistic creations.
• Health and hygiene procedures are effective and are consistently implemented by staff. Children follow appropriate routines, including cleaning their own hands after they have used a tissue to wipe their nose.
• Leaders and managers are very aware of the experiences that children missed out on during the period of COVID restrictions. They are gradually reintroducing previous practices that were stopped due to COVID-19. For example, they plan to invite people, such as dentists or members of the police, into the setting to speak with the children.
• Settling-in arrangements are flexible and supportive for children who may have had less experience socialising with others due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, children build bonds with their key staff. This helps children to build their sense of security.
• Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are very well supported. They receive individual attention whenever they need it. Staff use additional strategies to support their emerging communication skills. Children with SEND show their enjoyment as they play and learn alongside their friends and make good progress according to their individual capabilities.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support younger children to engage more with planned learning opportunities, to allow them to make their own unique contributions more often
• refine and develop the already good curriculum to raise the ambition within it and support staff with understanding how to deliver it even more effectively.