Puffins Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Staff warmly welcome all children into the nursery. Children settle quickly at their self-chosen activities. Staff support children in their play by demonstrating different skills. For example, the staff fill beakers with dry sand or help children to measure ingredients to make play dough.

Children enjoy a wide range of activities through the day to support their learning. For example, children enjoy painting with brushes and conkers and build with wooden bricks. Each room has a cosy reading area and children often read stories and sing songs with staff. Outside, children confidently climb and balance on equipment. They enjoy sensory play, such as exploring cooked spaghetti.

Children enjoy visits to the local area to learn more about the world beyond nursery. For example, children walk to the postbox to post letters and explore natural objects on the green nearby. Pre-school children also take part in a 'mini-explorer' programme. This aims to build children's knowledge and appreciation of the natural world.

Staff support children's independence. For example, they encourage children to select the resources that they need and serve their own food at lunchtime. Children form good relationships with staff and feel safe. They explore their environment with confidence. Children behave well and are engaged in their learning. Staff set high expectations for all children, and they make good progress.

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

• Staff plan a range of activities based on children's interests. For example, toddlers and babies explore creative techniques using conkers they found on the nearby green. In the pre-school children learn new vocabulary and develop mark-making skills based on their interest in aliens. Children are actively engaged in their learning.
• Staff actively support children's learning through play. For example, while children are at the water tray, staff encourage them to look closely and talk about what they notice. Staff encourage children to share their ideas and to problem solve while building with plastic and wooden bricks. However, sometimes staff miss opportunities to extend children's learning further.
• Staff complete effective assessments of children's learning. They know children well and identify and support the next steps in their development. For example, staff use children's favourite activities to support language development and concepts, such as shape and colour. Children make good progress. However, sometimes staff leave children at independent activities for too long. When this occurs, children would benefit from additional staff direction or interaction.
• Staff are sensitive to, and respectful of, children's ideas and choices. Staff often ask children, 'What would you like do?' Staff offer alternative activities to children when they do not wish to join in. For example, staff ask children if they would prefer to read a story rather than sing songs or play with construction toys. Children are confident to express their opinions and are respectful of each other.
• Staff encourage children to be independent. Children choose activities that interest them and make their own beds at nap time. Children are confident and resourceful.
• Children's communication and language skills are good. Staff model language well. They engage in conversations with children, listen attentively and respond to them. Staff use sign language to support communication with children under three. Staff read stories using different voices and encourage children to join in with animal sounds. Children often choose to look at books independently. Older children confidently engage in conversations with adults and peers. However, sometimes staff miss opportunities to extend language even further.
• Staff and leaders are quick to identify children with possible special educational needs and/or disabilities, including speech and language delay. Staff offer these children targeted support as needed. Leaders are proactive in contacting external agencies to access further support. They use extra funding to meet children's individual needs. For example, to meet the needs of children, staff developed a sensory room while other children attended extra sessions.
• Parents are happy with the education and care the nursery offers to their children. They receive developmental reports each term. Staff post updates and photographs daily using the nursery's app. Parents feel well informed about life at the nursery and their child's development. They are happy with the progress their children make.
• Staff prepare children for the next stage of their education. They contact schools that children will attend to support their transition. Leaders manage this particularly well for vulnerable children.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• monitor and coach staff to ensure that effective practice is consistent, and that staff self-deploy to prevent learning opportunities being missed.