Purple Willows Sidcup

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Leaders and staff fully understand what they what children to learn and why. They set high expectations for all children's learning. As a result, all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, make meaningful progress in their learning. Children are motivated and demonstrate a positive attitude to learning.

Children have a strong passion for books, and staff share many stories with them. Staff read with enthusiasm and ask questions to sustain children's engagement. For instance, while reading 'We're Going on a Bear Hunt' to a group of pre-school children, staff encourage children to predict what will happen next. Children pretend to be walking through 'thick, oozy mud' and a 'snowstorm', mimicking the sound effects. Children use new words they have learned, such as 'footprints' and 'scared', when explaining events in the book.

Children are emotionally secure and behave exceptionally well for their age. Staff are competent in implementing the nursery's vision and values, such as respect and kindness. Children as young as babies learn to use kind hands and play nicely with their friends. Older children are highly considerate of each other. They know the golden rules and can explain why these are in place.

Children feel happy, safe and content in the nursery.

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

• Staff have a good knowledge of children's abilities and next steps in their learning. They use observations and assessments effectively to monitor the progress of both individuals and groups of children. Staff act promptly to organise extra support, working effectively with outside agencies to help those children with additional learning needs catch up with their peers. All children acquire essential skills for their future education.
• The curriculum for developing children's communication and language is implemented well. Staff use highly effective strategies to extend children's communication and language development. Staff working with the youngest children comment on their play, introduce single words and encourage them to repeat words. Older children are encouraged to talk in full sentences. Staff provide many opportunities for children to hear new words in the learning environment. For instance, staff teach children how to pronounce complex words, such as staccato, during a music lesson.
• Staff understand the way children learn. They benefit from good opportunities to develop and extend on their practice. For instance, staff have recently attended curriculum training to help them plan effectively and build on children's knowledge. However, on a few occasions, staff can become overzealous in their teaching and do not always allow children to make independent choices in their learning, to help extend their interests.
• Partnership with parents is strong. Staff use the online system and face-to-face communication well to keep parents informed about children's care and learning. In addition, leaders and staff organise special events, including stay-and-play sessions, for parents and carers to come in and carry out activities with the children. The team consults and acts on the views of parents when making changes in the nursery, to help drive improvements. Parents are kept up to date with staff changes and incidents that happen on the premises. Parents express that they are happy and satisfied with the service.
• Staff set high expectations for behaviour. They use their expert knowledge of behaviour management well to help children learn what is expected. They teach older children to understand different emotions, such as how to self-regulate and manage difficult situations. In addition, staff form positive relationships with children and offer lots of praise to boost children's self-esteem. This contributes successfully to the way children behave.
• Children are responsible and manage risks with confidence. Staff encourage children, including babies, to help to put resources away after play. They teach children to share and remind them to be careful when accessing the steps in the garden. Children show high levels of confidence and resilience when climbing and balancing on play equipment.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• increase opportunities for younger children to make independent choices in their play, to further build on their interest and enhance their engagement levels.