Purple Jay Nursery Peckham Rye

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children arrive at the setting happily and separate from their parents with ease. Staff ensure that children feel safe and secure. They develop positive relationships with children. Children become independent learners. For example, in the baby room, children learn to feed themselves from an early age. They continue to develop these skills as they move on to each stage in the nursery. By the time children are ready to start school, they have the skills which they need. For instance, older children enjoy carrying out small tasks at snack time and serve themselves at mealtimes. Children make choices in their play and learning. This helps to develop children's confidence.

Staff have high expectations for all children. Children are curious and motivated to learn. They thoroughly engage in a variety of good learning opportunities. Children's behaviour is supported well across the setting. Staff consistently praise children for their efforts, achievements and positive behaviours. Children develop high levels of self-esteem, as well as positive attitudes to their learning. Younger children have strong bonds with their key person. Older children seek staff out to show their accomplishments and share their ideas. All children confidently approach staff for comfort and reassurance and settle quickly in their attentive care.

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

• The manager and staff have ambitious expectations for all children. Staff support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities well. They work alongside other agencies involved in children's care and learning. Staff use the information that they obtain from parents in the beginning to plan for what children need to learn next. They analyse what children already know and identify what they need to learn next. As a result, all children make consistently good progress from their starting points in learning.
• The manager and staff recognise the impact that the COVID-19 pandemic has had on some children's social and emotional development. They support children to develop their social interactions. For instance, staff engage with children at their own level as they join in their play. Staff are sensitive to children's needs and explain to them what is happening and why.
• Staff act as good role models to children. They listen when children talk and value what they say. Older children confidently hold conversations and describe past events. For example, they excitedly explain to the inspector what they know about sharks and orcas. Children become confident talkers.
• Staff ask children questions as they play alongside them. However, they do not consistently ask children questions that allow them to become critical thinkers. While staff are enthusiastic and engage with children, this does not give children opportunities to think for themselves.
• All children enjoy regular access to the nursery's large garden. They have fun exploring a range of activities and practise their physical skills. For instance, babies enjoy singing and exploring sounds with musical instruments. Toddlers excitedly play peekaboo under a large sheet with staff. Pre-school children enjoy yoga sessions to start their day.
• Staff plan good routines in the nursery to support children to understand what comes next. Children's transitions between rooms are smooth. However, staff do not plan transitions between activities, particularly in the pre-school room, as effectively. For example, children wait for long periods as staff organise what is happening after snack and mealtimes. Therefore, children become restless and are not fully engaged in their learning.
• Partnerships with parents are strong. They are happy with the information which they receive from staff and the progress that their children make. Parents state that they appreciate the range of activities that their children experience. They comment that their children have fun in their learning. Parents comment on the support from the staff for their whole families' well-being.
• Staff are professionally qualified. They speak enthusiastically about their roles and say that they feel valued and supported by the manager. Staff are well supervised and meet regularly with the manager to discuss their professional development. They receive guidance and training to help them improve their skills and knowledge.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support staff to develop different questioning techniques to encourage children to think more critically and therefore extend their learning further
• plan transitions during the day more effectively so that children are engaged in their learning at all times.