Railway Children Nursery Treeton

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The management team and staff have made significant improvements since the last inspection. Children appear happy and enjoy their time at the nursery. Babies show that they feel safe. For example, as they enjoy cuddles with staff when they wake from sleep. Staff place photos of children and their families in each room. They also allow babies to bring in an item from home that helps to comfort them. Staff understand the impact this has on children's emotional security when they have familiar things around them.

Staff consistently reinforce expectations of behaviour for children. For example, they remind pre-school children to listen when their friends speak at group time. This prepares children well for the wider social network of school and teaches them to be kind and considerate to others.

Pre-school children show how they can retain knowledge and recall previous learning. For example, they remember the story 'Room on the Broom' as they talk about witches and Halloween with staff. Staff encourage babies to dip apples into paint and make marks on paper. Pre-school children sing well known nursery rhymes. They feel runny gloop on their hands and make up their own rhyming words that sound like 'Slimy'. Staff provide learning opportunities that have a positive impact on children's early literacy, language and physical development.

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

• The management team and staff have made effective use of the support from the local authority since the last inspection. Further strategies have been put in place to help staff identify children with possible additional needs. There are effective learning plans for early years children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), who attend school and the nursery holiday club. Also, good sharing of information between staff and teachers at the local school. All children, including those with SEND, make good progress in their learning.
• Staff know the children well and can talk about where children are in their development. They provide a broad curriculum that helps children to learn new skills and remember those they already have. However, while staff in the baby room are generally able to discuss the curriculum intentions, their teaching does not always focus on what they want babies to learn next.
• Staff support children's personal development very well. For example, they give pre-school children a choice of fruit they would like to eat at snack time. Pre-school children introduce themselves to visitors, showing confidence in new social situations. Staff give pre-school children appropriate tasks to carry out. For instance, to tidy toys away and put on their own apron for creative play. Children develop a sense of responsibility and self-awareness.
• Pre-school children hold up their fingers to correspond with their age. They guess the age of staff when asked and say, '86'. When staff exclaim, 'how old', pre-school children laugh at their response. They show the bond they share with staff and their playful characters. Staff help children to match their counting words with objects, such as when they give out plates at snack time. Also, when they count the buttons on their shirt as babies point to them. Staff support children's early mathematical skills well.
• Staff talk to children about healthy eating and the importance of caring for their teeth. They introduce words in context to pre-school children. For example, 'hydrated' and 'energy', when talking about drinks and food. Staff use familiar stories to teach children about going to the dentist. Children learn to wash their hands independently before they eat and after using the toilet.
• Staff provide pictures and observations of children for parents to see. Parents are included in their child's baseline assessment. Termly assessment reviews are carried out and shared at parents' evening. There are effective systems in place for the completion of school transition reports and the progress check for children aged between two and three years.
• The management team uses additional funding well to meet children's individual needs. They and staff complete regular training to enhance their professional development. Staff report that they feel fully supported in their role. The management team carries out regular supervision meetings and observations of staff's practice. However, there is scope to build upon the already good quality of teaching to benefit children further.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support staff to have a clearer understanding of the curriculum intent, so that their teaching consistently focuses on what they want babies to learn next
• continue to help staff raise the quality of their teaching and education for children, so that practice is consistently high across the team.