Puddleducks Day Nursery (Baldock) Limited

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children enthusiastically embrace the activities and resources that staff provide to help them explore and learn. Children move around the rooms and garden, choosing what they would like to investigate or play with. Children sit in comfortable corners and look at books, which staff willingly read to them. Babies and very young children snuggle up with staff and quickly foster a love for books. They turn the pages, pointing to familiar animals and characters. The words children hear in stories, rhymes and the many positive interactions they have with staff, contribute to children's growing vocabulary. By the time they leave for school, children are confident, articulate individuals.

Children behave well. Staff support them to recognise their own emotions and those of their peers. From a young age, children are encouraged to share and to respect others. Children follow simple instructions, such as lining up before they return into the building from the garden. The caring staff act as positive role models. In turn, children replicate what they see and hear, contributing to a harmonious environment in which to play and learn.

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

• Since their last inspection, the provider, managers and staff have worked hard across the nursery to fully embed an effective curriculum that supports children to build on what they already know and understand. Staff have received focused training and support to help strengthen their knowledge and understanding of how children learn, contributing to their good teaching skills. As a result, all babies and children make good progress in their learning and development.
• Children enthusiastically make use of the natural resources that staff provide for them. This helps to trigger their curiosity and creativity. For example, children squeeze juice from oranges to make 'potions'. Very young children smell lemon and lime segments in a water tray. They scoop the fruit into jugs, helping to strengthen their hand muscles. Staff describe what children are doing, using language such as 'full' and 'empty'. This helps to introduce children to new concepts that they can build on. Older children delight in drawing faces on vegetables, such as leeks and carrots. They think about the features they need to include and identify facial expressions, such as 'happy' or 'sad'. Staff ask children about different emotions, consolidating children's knowledge.
• Babies and children quickly settle in the nursery. Staff gather detailed information from parents about their children before they start in the nursery. This includes information about care routines, dietary requirements, children's interests and what they already can do and understand. This helps staff to incorporate familiar routines and activities right from the start. For example, the nurturing staff settle babies to sleep in similar ways to their parents and carers.
• They rock them in their arms or settle them in cots, helping babies to feel safe and secure.
• Partnerships with parents are good. Parents report that leaders and staff are 'highly approachable', and feel that their voices are heard. Staff update parents about their child's day during collection and drop off times. They also send regular information about children's care through a secure electronic app. Termly reports help staff to share children's progress. They share ideas for parents to help support children's next steps in learning at home in addition to the activities that staff provide in the nursery. This contributes to consistency in children's care and education.
• Children enthusiastically join in the activities that staff create that link to books and stories they share together. Staff leave resources out for children to return to later. This allows children time to repeat and practise the enjoyable experiences they have, helping them consolidate their learning. However, there are times when some staff do not accurately assess when to add precisely focused challenge to children's self-chosen play and experiments, to help support learning at the highest level.
• Over time, children develop skills to help promote good health and hygiene. However, on occasions, staff do not help children to understand why it is important to follow these positive routines and rules.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support staff to recognise when to add even more targeted challenges to children's self-chosen play and investigations
• encourage staff to consistently help children to develop a strong understanding of why it is important to follow the positive health and hygiene routines that are in place.