Rascals

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children flourish and thrive in this exceptionally wonderful setting. From the moment they arrive, children are immersed in rich experiences that motivate and inspire them to learn. Children receive the utmost care and attention from staff. Interactions are sensitive and nurturing. As a result, children demonstrate that they feel safe and secure in the setting.

Across the nursery, children show deep engagement in their play. Experiences are highly ambitious and carefully planned to introduce children to the wider world. Young children show the utmost delight as they stomp and splash in large puddles. Older children test their engineering skills as they design and create large towers from recyclable materials. They use their superb problem-solving skills to work out how to build a secure base and stop their constructions from toppling over.

Children become absorbed in books that are read enthusiastically by adults. Babies show a deepening love of stories and remain deeply attuned as they become fully immersed in the words and patterns in familiar stories. The outdoor environment provides an expansive and exciting natural classroom. Children explore with curiosity and wonder, transporting water, digging for treasure and taking care of the fairy garden. They fully embrace the outdoors, despite the cold and wet weather.

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

• The curriculum is ambitious and inspiring. Children are introduced to a broad and ambitious set of experiences that develop, support and consolidate learning. Leaders have high expectations for children, and staff support them to build on prior knowledge. Teaching is inspirational and showcases the impressive knowledge staff hold about their children. Adults skilfully combine what they already know about children with their secure understanding of child development. As a result, children make rapid progress in their learning.
• Children are building and developing a broad range of vocabulary. Communication and language is seamlessly woven through the curriculum. Adults use every available opportunity to develop children's vocabulary. They consistently use unfamiliar words as children play. For example, when painting with bamboo sticks, children think of words, such as 'snappy' and 'strong', to describe the sticks. Older children are developing the rules of language and demonstrate this through their play, taking conversational turn with their peers.
• Babies' senses are developing rapidly. They engage in a range of experiences that develop and extend sensory awareness. For example, they explore paint and sensory balls in a large tray. Babies use their hands and feet to explore the texture and feel of the paint. They handle the sensory balls, rolling and dropping them as they play.
• Behaviour across the setting is impeccable. Children show kindness and respect to their peers. They play together, collaborating and taking turns when playing outside with the large parachute. Children's attitudes to learning are consistently positive. As a result of the remarkable experiences provided, children regularly experience deep levels of learning and sustain concentration for extended periods of time.
• Leaders place a high value on supporting children's emotional well-being. Adults provide patient and sensitive responses when children are upset, supporting them to make sense of their emotions. Staff are highly attuned to children's personalities and emotional needs. Children have developed the language of feeling. This means that they can manage a range of emotions and self-regulate their own feelings and behaviour.
• Parents speak extremely positively about the setting. They praise staff for how well their children have settled into nursery and how happy they are.
• Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) receive specific and well targeted support. The nursery's special educational needs coordinator (SENCo) applies her extensive knowledge to tailoring individual support plans for children. Highly effective partnerships with parents and professionals further build on the already extensive support that children receive. As a result, children are making exceptional progress in their learning and development.
• Leadership is inspirational. The extremely knowledgeable and professional manager has embedded a highly effective curriculum. Meticulous self-evaluation and reflection is used to review and consider the curriculum and the impact of teaching. The manager and her committed team access regular, high quality training to further strengthen and improve the already impressive curriculum.