Putteridge Community Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are exceptionally happy and have an exceedingly positive approach to their learning. Staff, who are highly passionate about their role, welcome children into the nursery. They are warm and responsive towards the children's needs. They help them feel safe and secure in their environment. On arrival, children proudly find their 'name flowers' and secure them to the flowerpots on the wall. Children confidently choose what they want to play and learn. They show high levels of curiosity and concentration in the well-planned environment.

All children are highly independent. For example, older children know the routine. They find their own coats and put them on independently for the garden. Younger children persevere, as they try and do their own zips up. Nearby staff offer encouragement and praise to support their achievements.

Children's learning is woven through everything they do by the knowledgeable staff. Children's interests lead the planning of activities with staff skilfully supporting children's next steps in their learning. For example, staff join children building a train track on the carpet. Through careful questioning, staff encourage children to think about how they can use the track pieces they have to help the track go around the mat. There is clear intent for the curriculum within the nursery.

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

• The quality of teaching is exceptional. Staff are knowledgeable on the skills children already know and use this to support future learning. They create activities to spark children's natural curiosity and interest. For example, staff discuss with children what might be inside the pumpkin they are carving. They make predictions, excitedly working together to carve the top to see what is inside.
• All children in the nursery, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and those who speak English as an additional language, make phenomenal progress. Staff are highly attuned to children's needs. Interventions are quickly put into place, including visual prompts to help individual learning needs. Support plans use children's interests to provide achievable goals, which are regularly reviewed. All staff understand them, maximising all children's potential.
• Staff use their knowledge of each child to balance children's engagement equally. They make sure to give all children the same opportunities to join in activities. This helps all children grow in confidence. For example, children roll conkers down a ramp to see how far they go. Staff support children to work together to collect the conkers from the bottom and place them in a bowl. Staff give children roles within the process, praising their teamwork.
• The management team and staff have built superb parentships with the local schools. They work together to create school readiness targets, helping children learn the skills they need for starting school. The manager meets with the teacher to reflect on the last cohort of children. They make adaptions to support an even better transition period. For those children with SEND, plans are put in place early to support transitions. This ensures consistency and continuity of care and learning, ensuring all children transition to school well.
• Parents are highly enthusiastic about the nursery. They praise the staff team for ensuring their children make progress in their time there. Parents praise the 'over and above' support the nursery provides to children and their families. They are thrilled with the information they gain about their children's development and know how they can support their learning even further at home. Parents admit to 'being sad' when they think of their children leaving the nursery.
• The manager and deputy are extremely passionate about the service the nursery provides. They reflect continuously with staff to ensure they are providing children with a rich set of learning experiences. The manager motivates staff to learn new skills and continue their professional development. Staff comment that they are well supported and 'could not wish to work for a better team'.