Purple Panda Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The manager and staff create a homely and welcoming environment. Children develop strong and nurturing relationships with staff, who ensure that children feel safe and secure from the moment they settle in. Children make good progress in relation to their starting points in development. Staff plan a wide and varied curriculum that provides children with a range of exciting experiences that interest and challenge them. For example, younger children explore with their senses as they investigate Autumn leaves in a tray. They eagerly decorate pumpkins with orange paint using their hands and paintbrushes. Staff promote children's developing mathematical knowledge well. Children enjoy joining in with singing number rhymes and songs. Older children begin to do simple addition, such as they confidently count five ducks and their mother to work out there are six ducks all together.

Staff promote children's literacy skills effectively. They provide opportunities for older children to write their names on their completed work. Younger children access crayons to make early marks on paper. Staff promote all children's love of books. For example, they support children to access well-resourced comfy book corners in their rooms and visit the local library. Children's behaviour is exemplary. Staff are good role models and have high expectations of children. They set clear boundaries and consistently encourage all children to share, take turns and play cooperatively with their friends.

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

• Key persons understand their role and responsibility to monitor and assess children's development effectively. They skilfully use the information they gain to plan meaningful next steps in learning for children.
• Older children access fresh air and exercise daily. They have tremendous fun whizzing around the garden on balance bicycles. Children climb under and jump over poles as they take part in obstacle courses. Younger children have access to a secure outdoor area where they can use a range of equipment to develop their large a muscle skills. However, during poor weather, they have limited opportunities to climb and develop their physical skills indoors.
• Staff strategically place themselves at activities to support and extend children's communication and language. They consistently engage in dialogue, introduce new vocabulary and ask children open questions. Staff in the setting speak several languages. Children who speak English as an additional language or who are bilingual are cared for by staff who share their home languages and who know how to introduce key words and phrases. This supports children in all areas to become confident skilful communicators.
• Older children help staff to clean out the setting's turtle enclosure. They learn how to handle the turtles, develop empathy and start to understand the care needs of others. For example, children understand the importance of not pouring water over the turtle's head.
• Staff provide healthy nutritious meals and snacks and carefully cater for children's individual dietary requirements. They display information clearly in the kitchen and on children's table mats. Children learn about and can recognise, what are healthy and non-healthy foods and talk to staff about the differences. They learn how fruits and vegetables grow, such as they have planted and tended to strawberries and tomatoes.
• Older children confidently explore the learning environment and self-select activities that meet their interests. However, staff do not always encourage them to do things for themselves and have opportunities to develop their independence skills. For example, staff put on children's coats at play time and serve out their meals, rather than letting them do these things for themselves.
• Parents are happy and complimentary about the care their children receive. They receive regular updates about their children's day and progress through daily chats with staff and online systems. Parents feel included and know exactly what stage of development their children are at.
• Leaders supports the continued professional development of staff effectively. They complete regular supervision sessions and appraisals with staff to review their performance, key children's progress and training needs. Staff have completed various courses, such as around supporting babies. This helps to ensure that children receive good-quality care and education.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• enable younger children to explore and develop their motor skills, balance and spatial awareness more consistently, such as by reviewing how resources and opportunities are organised during poor weather
• promote older children's independence skills further by encouraging and supporting them to do more things for themselves.