Priory Nursery, Stevenage Old Town

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are excited to arrive and enjoy the time they spend in this vibrant, exciting learning environment. The nurturing manager and staff greet children warmly and swiftly engage them in the routines of the day. This supports all children to feel safe and secure in their care.

Staff plan a wealth of interesting activities and encourage children to follow their own ideas and thinking in play. For example, during sand play, children recall a character in their favourite book. Staff embrace this opportunity and help children to make their own 'Stickman'. Together they discuss the other characters in the book and explore his adventures further. As a result of this flexible approach, children remain deeply absorbed in their learning throughout the day.

Staff adapt their teaching well to meet the needs of the wide age of children that attend. They skilfully differentiate group sessions to provide focused teaching opportunities. For example, young children learn new words and develop physical confidence in a singing and dancing activity. Older children identify the initial sounds in words, promoting their early literacy skills. This supports all children to make good progress from their starting points.

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

• Children are polite and show empathy and kindness towards others. For example, when their friends fall over and become upset, children show concern and rush to reassure them. Children follow instructions well and take on responsibilities in the nursery. They help tidy away resources and take immense pride in helping to look after the nursery's giant pet snails. Staff encourage these positive behaviours by providing praise and acknowledging children's contribution. However, staff do not consistently support children to manage conflict in their play, for example, when there are disputes over resources.
• Staff prepare children well for their next stage of learning. They collaborate with schools and mirror the routines children will experience. For example, children serve themselves meals and carefully tidy away their cups and plates once finished. Children develop confidence and pride in their progression to school. Staff support this well by encouraging children to explore their new uniforms during craft and role-play activities.
• The manager rigorously evaluates all areas of her practice and is committed to enhancing the care she provides. She confidently discusses recent changes to the outdoor environment and how they meet the specific physical needs of children who attend. The manager and her team are very enthusiastic about their future plans and demonstrate a clear and robust vision for improving children's outcomes.
• The manager and staff create a safe environment for all children who attend. They complete regular risk assessments and closely monitor any accidents that occur. Children play an active role in keeping themselves and others safe. They complete outdoor safety checks with staff and learn to identify possible hazards in the environment.
• Morale is high within this well-qualified team. Staff discuss how well the manager promotes their development and well-being. The manager conducts regular appraisals to identify training opportunities and areas for development. However, ongoing methods of coaching are not yet sufficient. Staff are not always able to identify areas to improve their practice and raise the quality of their teaching to an exceptionally high standard.
• Children's language development is embedded in staff practice. Staff provide continuous opportunities for children to discuss their interests. They extend their learning further by asking age-appropriate questions and allowing children time to respond. Staff conduct daily group sessions, where all children confidently use Makaton to greet their friends and identify objects in their environment.
• Parents talk with enthusiasm about their experiences at the nursery. They deeply value the nurturing care that the manager and staff provide to children and families. Parents appreciate how staff work closely with them when children start. They acknowledge how this enables children to settle well and look forward to attending.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• implement strategies that will support children to better resolve disputes and manage conflict in their play
• establish more robust methods of coaching, enabling staff to raise the quality of their practice to a consistently high standard.