Rebeccas Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are settled and happy at this small and friendly nursery. They benefit greatly from the challenging curriculum that the manager has devised. For example, children learn how to look after the nursery's pet fish and guinea pigs tenderly. This helps children to develop a caring attitude towards living creatures. Additionally, staff help children to learn where some of the food that they eat comes from. For instance, children collect eggs that Woody and Buzz, the nursery's hens, have laid. Staff then help children to use these eggs in cooking activities. Through the nursery's well-thought-out curriculum, staff help children to become very keen learners.

Babies are cared for by the nurturing staff affectionately. Babies crawl and toddle towards staff for cuddles, to listen to a story, or join in singing a favourite nursery rhyme. Staff make sure that they spend lots of time getting to know individual baby's needs well. This helps babies to feel safe.

Staff have high expectations of how children should behave. Staff gently talk to babies about waiting for a turn to ride on the rocking horse. Babies learn the tricky task of what waiting feels like. Staff model to older children how to use kind words and be respectful to others. Children are courteous and know how to make and keep friends.

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

• The manager, who is also the owner, has devised an ambitious curriculum to support children's development across all the areas of learning. She ensures that children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) receive high-quality support for their learning. Overall, children develop the skills and knowledge that they need for their future learning.
• Mostly, staff support children's language development well. They introduce some important vocabulary during play activities. However, the curriculum for children's vocabulary development is not consistently implemented. For example, at times, some staff do not support children in their recognition of new words as is intended. At these times, children do not learn the important words to support their growing vocabulary.
• The manager makes certain that staff enable children to be physically active and learn about the capabilities of their bodies. Staff help babies to develop their core strength and balance. They expertly guide older children to develop important knowledge, such as when challenging them to control a ball with their feet. Children build their coordination and physical strength successfully.
• Overall, learning for individual children is sequenced well. However, staff do not carefully consider the needs of all children during mixed-age group activities. As a result, two-year-old children become distracted and lose attention. This means that, at these times, learning is not as successful for two-year-old children.
• The manager and staff encourage children to become increasingly independent. Babies learn very quickly how to drink from an open cup. Staff help two-year-old children to learn to pour their own water from jugs, with little prompting. Older children learn to prepare their own snacks, such as cheese and crackers. Children become confident in their self-care skills.
• The manager, who is also the special educational needs coordinator, is skilled at supporting children with SEND. She ensures that children receive the extra help that they require quickly. The manager supports staff to respond carefully to the learning needs of children with SEND. For instance, staff break down the curriculum into smaller steps to enhance children's learning. Children with SEND become successful learners.
• Parents and carers receive important updates and communication from staff about their children's development. The manager provides parents with a regular newsletter about the activities and events that are happening at the nursery. Staff routinely share helpful information with parents to support children's learning at home. Parents feel involved in their children's learning.
• The manager makes sure that staff support and guide children's behaviour well. Staff support children to learn about the nursery's routines, such as through careful use of its 'now and next board'. Staff help children to build their understanding of what the nursery expects of them. Children learn to manage their emotions and be self-organised and independent.
• Following a recent concern of a safeguarding incident where the manager failed to act swiftly when worried about a colleague, the manager has taken action. She has revisited her safeguarding policy and procedures and ensured that she and all staff understand the need to take swift action in the event of a concern about a colleague. The manager failed to notify Ofsted of this significant event, which is a requirement of registration. However, there was no impact on children's safety and welfare from the breaches to requirements.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• improve the implementation of the curriculum for communication and language so that staff understand how children learn language to support children's vocabulary even further
• help staff to consider more carefully the individual needs of the children when taking part in mixed-age group activities.