Raindrops Day Nursery Ltd

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children flourish at this nursery. This is because leaders and staff are united in their vision to provide children with the best possible start to their learning. They are highly ambitious for all children to develop a love of learning and achieve well. This is consistent across the nursery. Children enjoy group activities and listen with rapt attention. They hear new language, repeating and learning words. Staff revisit subjects to check children's understanding. They engage children in conversation and skilfully encourage them to think, question and make decisions.

Children's behaviour is exemplary. They show high regard to each other and to staff, demonstrating behaviour that is expected. They speak politely to each other during play, sharing and taking turns. Children are impressively self-sufficient and keen to do things for themselves. They readily put their coats on and fasten them. Staff help babies to be successful, showing them how to use cutlery to eat their food and tiding up after themselves.

Children thrive in the outdoor area. They thoroughly enjoy running round and jumping up and down. Children ride around confidently on balance bicycles and competently climb up the wooden frame. They use magnifying glasses to look at insects, counting and describing their patterns and their features.

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

• Children are well supported as they move to the next stage of their learning and there is a clear procedure in place. Staff regularly update parents at every step of the process. The key-person and buddy system ensure children's individual needs are met effectively, even during the key person's absence. Children know that staff will help them if they need it. This provides the security for children to become absorbed in their learning and play.
• Provision for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities is exemplary. Staff have a superb understanding of what each child already knows and what they need to learn next. They work closely with parents and other agencies to review children's next steps, which helps them to decide what to teach children. Staff advocate and challenge other agencies to ensure vulnerable children receive the help that is required, enabling all children to access a broad curriculum successfully and make excellent progress.
• Staff have high expectations for children. They praise children's efforts when they persevere at a task and celebrate their achievements when the task is completed. This helps build children's confidence in their abilities and reinforces their positive attitudes to learning.
• Leaders have an excellent and effective curriculum in place that builds on children's interests and helps to ensure that they make progress in their learning. They introduce a wide range of books to children and work with parents to help them discover other places to enjoy reading books with their child. This creates rich opportunities for children to develop a real love for reading.
• Staff are proficient at checking that children understand their learning. They carefully give children time and space to explore, observing them as they play. Staff know when to intervene in children's play, comment on their play and ask questions to check children's understanding. They closely monitor children's well-being and progress to identify any gaps in learning, so that these can be swiftly addressed.
• Leaders provided high-quality care and opportunities for children to learn during the COVID-19 pandemic. They adapted their approach to ensure children continued to learn in a safe environment. Leaders engage in continuous evaluation of this process, which has led to a gradual re-introduction of pre-pandemic activities and events. Leaders place families at the centre of their approach. They provide tailored support to families and signpost them to appropriate agencies. As a result, children develop and flourish in all areas.
• Partnership working with parents is exceptional. Parents say that their children have thrived in the nursery. They provide positive comments about their children's experiences at the nursery, and they feel well informed about their children's learning. Parents praise staff for their commitment to ensuring children and their families receive the support they need.