Prior Heath Nursery & K Club

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children adore coming to this exceptional nursery. They smile enthusiastically at staff, who greet them with kindness and warmth. Children build incredibly close bonds with staff, who get to know them well. This helps children to settle with ease. Staff act as exceptional role models. They teach the children right from wrong and why it is important to make positive behaviour choices. For instance, when children are engrossed in their play at a 'potion' making station, staff play alongside and offer other children implements, saying pleasantly out loud 'because this is good sharing'. Such practice is embedded across the setting and children mimic these positive behaviours, working and playing in harmony together and demonstrating notable thoughtfulness and consideration for others.

Children are highly independent. For example, they place their belongings in correct places, put on their own aprons and confidently make choices about their play. They relish taking on responsibilities such as being helper of the day, where they assist staff to check the garden for risks, count the children present and water the plants. Children readily help themselves to the resources staff have placed at child height and freely invite their friends to join in with their play.

Leaders have constructed a curriculum that is highly ambitious and well sequenced. Accordingly, children are fully absorbed in their learning. For instance, after discussing World Bee Day inside, children concentrate intently for prolonged periods when looking at bugs they had found in the garden. All staff are clear about what they want children to learn next. Staff use individual plans for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), evaluate all planning and assess children frequently. Consequently, all children make significant progress in their learning and development.

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

• Leaders have thoroughly considered how the curriculum will be delivered. They break down each area to ensure that it is easily understood by the children. As staff work with children, they know exactly how to take their learning further. For instance, when at a bee-themed craft activity, staff ask children what they already know about bees and then deepen their understanding by stating that bees collect nectar from the flowers and take this back to their hive to make honey.
• There is a strong focus on personal and emotional well-being at the nursery. Staff work exceptionally hard to ensure each child becomes confident and self-assured. They work with children one to one or in small groups to boost their self-esteem. Activities that involve the children's interests, but also set small challenges, are planned where children will succeed. Children relish in the high praise that staff shower them with, subsequently gaining in confidence.
• Communication and language skills are supported extremely well. Staff seek advice from speech and language therapists and use this to support an array of children across the setting through focussed group work. Staff model ambitious vocabulary when playing with children and take time to explain the meaning of new words. For instance, when children are dancing in the garden, staff state 'that was a lovely twirl!' They then take time to explain that a twirl means spinning around. Children then use this new word as they continue their play.
• Staff promote children's behaviour remarkably well. For example, when staff clap their hands, children stop their play and join in without fuss, as they know that they need to be listening to an instruction. Children playing with cardboard boxes realise there is not enough room for everyone, and so they open one side to make room for all that want to play. Behaviour in the nursery is exemplary.
• Children with SEND are supported exceedingly well. Adjustments to timetables, staff arrangements and resources are in place to best support individual needs effectively. Careful consideration is given when allocating additional funding for resources to support children most effectively.
• Partnerships with parents are strong. Staff invite families into the nursery during an INSET day before children start to have one-to-one conversations with staff members about their child. This supports children's transition into the nursery incredibly well. Parents are well informed about their child's development and families feel exceptionally well supported by the nursery team and have nothing but high praise for the provision.
• Leaders are inspirational. They lead by example and support every member of staff emphatically. Staff access a wide variety of training opportunities to develop their practice. These include courses involving using visual aids, which staff state have supported their ability to communicate with non-verbal children. Leaders frequently evaluate their provision and continually strive to be the very best that they can for the children.