Quackers Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Staff provide a warm welcome to children and their families. They show interest in children's lives. For example, at the beginning of the week they ask children thoughtful questions about their weekend. This encourages children to share their news and builds rapport between staff and children. Throughout the day staff's smiles and positivity, as well as their focus on children's safety, helps ensure children feel safe, secure and valued.

Staff know the children well. They accurately identify any gaps in children's progress and put in place effective support to help children catch up with their peers. This includes for children with potential special educational needs and/or disabilities. For example, they plan specific activities to help children understand and manage their emotions. Staff encourage and praise positive behaviour and children behave well. Leaders have supported staff well to develop an effective curriculum that is age-appropriate and has a broad focus on the skills and knowledge children most need in preparation for the next stages in their learning. For example, throughout the nursery staff focus well on supporting speaking and listening skills. They model simple words and phrases for babies and encourage older children to share their thoughts and opinions. They also plan specific activities to help children differentiate different sounds in the environment. This helps children develop the skills they need for later learning about letters and the sounds they represent.

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

• Leaders are ambitious for the nursery. They want the best for the children in their care. Leaders provide targeted support for all staff, to develop their existing skills and knowledge. Staff new to childcare are supported by more experienced colleagues in their roles as key persons. Strong leadership has led to many improvements at the nursery, both in staff practice and the learning environment. Staff report they feel valued and appreciated.
• Staff have developed a curriculum which broadly identifies the skills and knowledge they want children to develop before they start school. The strong focus on children's emotional, communication and physical development means that children leave nursery well-prepared for this next stage in their learning. However, some aspects of curriculum planning lack detail. This impacts on staff's ability to focus and sequence their teaching precisely on what children will most benefit from learning at particular times on their learning journey.
• Reading with children is given a high priority at the nursery. Children have many opportunities throughout the day to snuggle in with staff and listen to well-read stories. Staff read to children in ways that capture and maintain their interest and build a love of books that prepares them well for later literacy teaching.
• Overall, teaching is very effective. Sometimes, when children are engaged in self-chosen play, staff do not identify the skills they are trying to master. Therefore, staff's interactions, although building children's confidence and self-esteem, are not precisely focused on supporting children's learning and development.
• Staff create an environment in which children are proud of what they know and can do. They display children's creations where children can see them. Children proudly show each other the pictures they have drawn of their own families. Staff tell children 'well done' and 'good remembering' as they master new skills and talk about things they have already learned. This strong practice encourages children to keep trying, and builds positive attitudes to learning.
• Staff appreciate the different life experiences children bring with them to nursery. They ensure all children feel valued and that activities at nursery reinforce this. For example, staff ensure that the different festivals that are special to children are given equal prominence. Through this approach all children are helped to learn about the different people who live around them, and the benefits of living in a diverse society.
• Leaders and staff have developed strong partnerships with parents, to support children's learning and well-being at nursery and at home. Staff ensure that parents know who their child's key person is and understand their role in providing their child with a sense of belonging and security. Staff provide parents with regular updates on their children's progress, to enable them to further this learning at home.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• improve curriculum planning, to more clearly identify the specific skills and knowledge children most need to learn next, and use to enhance teaching further
• support staff to help children learn more during periods of self-chosen play.