Primary Colours Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children arrive at the nursery happy and eager to start playing. The friendly and welcoming staff greet children warmly and help them settle in quickly. From the start of the day staff encourage children to be confident and independent. Staff encourage children to take their coats and shoes off and hang them on their pegs independently, ready to go and start their day.

Staff provide children with an interesting environment that allows them to make their own choices in their play. Children eagerly explore the resources that are provided for them as they excitedly greet their friends.

Leaders and staff implement a well-planned curriculum. They have a shared focus on promoting children's development, using what children already know and can do alongside their interests. Staff create engaging learning opportunities that build on children's skills and promote further development. For example, staff plan activities to help children to strengthen the muscles in their hands to help them to have the strength and control needed to develop their early writing skills. Children enthusiastically draw pictures with chalk and use spray bottles, carefully pulling the trigger to wash away their chalk drawings.

Children are kind and considerate. They have good attitudes towards learning, and they listen well and follow instructions.

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

• Since the last inspection, leaders have taken action to make the necessary improvements to raise the quality of the provision. Leaders have developed their safeguarding procedures and training to ensure that they all have a clear understanding of how to keep children safe.
• Leaders and staff have improved their understanding of food safety. They have introduced new procedures to check the ingredients of food that they provide for children, and they make sure that they work closely with parents to meet children's individual dietary needs. Mealtimes are a social occasion where children of all ages eat together, and staff encourage all children to be independent at using cutlery and feeding themselves.
• Staff have a good understanding of how children learn. They work closely with parents and other professionals to gain a good understanding of children's development to help them to target their support precisely to children's learning needs. Staff assess children's progress and use their skilful interactions to engage children in purposeful play and learning. For instance, in the garden, staff promote children's physical development as they encourage children to use tools and utensils to pour, scoop, dig and mix at the mud kitchen. Children talk about making 'chocolate cookies' and tell the staff what ingredients they have used as they play imaginatively together.
• Leaders and staff share stories with children, talk to them as they play and model language. Although support for children's communication and language is generally strong, some of the newer and less confident staff could benefit from more guidance with how to promote children's language and communication skills further.
• Staff are nurturing and responsive to the needs of children. Children who have delays in their development and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) receive good care and support. Leaders and staff ensure that any additional funding that children are in receipt of is used effectively to meet children's individual needs and to enhance their learning and experiences.
• Partnerships with parents are strong. Parents are very complimentary about the care that their children receive. Leaders and staff share information about children's learning, and they work closely with parents to support children's developmental milestones, such as helping children with toilet training. Parents comment on the nurturing environment, where their children are happy and excited to attend.
• Staff set clear routines so that children know what is expected of them. Children understand the routines and respond well. They help to tidy away toys and confidently sit and take part in activities and stories. However, some of the routines and activities that staff provide are too ambitious for the younger children, and, although they behave well, children do not benefit from some of the planned routines. They spend a lot of time being sat down, missing out on time where they could be playing.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• provide newer and less confident staff with support in helping to promote children's communication and language
• improve the organisation of activities and routines to meet the individual learning needs of children.