Rectory Park Community Centre

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children show that they are happy and secure at this welcoming and inclusive nursery. They build strong bonds with the kind and caring staff. Newer children that are still settling in receive lots of reassurance and encouragement. This helps them to gain trust and promotes their emotional well-being.

Children have lots of opportunities to make choices about their play. They are enthusiastic learners that have positive attitudes towards new experiences. Children delight when participating in scientific experiments. For instance, they enjoy making predictions about how a volcano will erupt. Staff support children to learn new language, such as 'explosion' and 'bubbles'. They also guide children to make mathematical comparisons, such as full, empty, heavy and light. Children have great fun drawing with chalks, where staff support the children to discuss different colours and different facial features. This helps to support their fine motor skills and creativity. Furthermore, children discuss their ideas and intentions when experimenting with play dough and making lunch in the home corner. This helps to foster children's imagination and social skills.

Staff have high expectations for children's learning and are very positive role models. They frequently offer children praise as they play and offer clear explanations about expected behaviour. This helps to boost children's confidence and encourages them to behave well.

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

• Leaders and staff work extremely hard to create a strong sense of community. They frequently offer advice and support to help families. Furthermore, they work in close partnership with other services in the community to provide a food bank and to share resources. This collaborative working greatly benefits the children and families that attend. It also teaches children powerful messages about kindness and helping each other.
• Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities receive very good support. Staff know children well and provide high levels of attention and guidance to help them to move forward with their personal development and learning.
• Children benefit from a broad and exciting curriculum. Staff are knowledgeable about how they learn and regularly monitor children's development. Staff use their knowledge to plan a wide range of new experiences that helps children to develop new knowledge and skills. All children, including those who speak English as an additional language, make good progress.
• Staff promote children's mathematical awareness in a positive way. This is evident when children join in with singing familiar counting songs, such as 'Five little monkeys'. Children also show interest in matching socks and staff support them to discuss different colours, patterns as they sort and match.
• Children frequently hear lots of new language from staff as they play to help extend their vocabulary. However, at times some staff do not give children enough time to process and respond to questions before offering suggestions on their behalf. This means that at times children's thinking skills are not promoted to the highest level.
• Children are very independent and enjoy leading their play. Children show good engagement and share and take turns well. It is evident that they enjoy their time at the nursery.
• Children's health and well-being are promoted well. For instance, children eat nutritious snacks and staff use this time to teach the children the benefits of healthy eating. Children also have daily opportunities to engage in active play outdoors, such as riding on bikes and scooters. This helps to develop their physical skills and coordination.
• Leaders are ambitious and keen to work with the local authority to keep up to date with best practice guidance. They also provide effective mentoring for staff to foster their knowledge. Staff have ongoing opportunities to engage in professional development. This helps to create a high-quality environment where children flourish.
• Parents positively comment on how much their children enjoy attending and the good progress they are making. They greatly value the regular updates on the nursery app and discuss how it helps them to feel involved in their children's learning.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• build on how staff provide children with enough time to think and respond to questions and discussions to enhance their thinking skills further.