Red Roof Nursery and Kids Club

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are happy and excited to arrive at this nursery. Staff greet them warmly as they arrive. Children have close relationships with their key person and the staff team. Staff gather valuable information from parents when children start about what they already know and can do. They use this effectively to ensure children can play with familiar and favourite equipment. This helps even the youngest children to feel secure and settle well.

Children use props to support their imagination. For instance, they dress themselves in role-play costumes and paint their hands, pretending to be a 'superhero'. Children relish the time they spend outdoors. They build on their physical skills as they pedal on bikes, splash in muddy puddles and kick balls, developing their large muscles and coordination skills. Children have lots of opportunities to move their bodies in different ways. For example, they bend, jump and stretch while participating in a music and movement session.

Children learn how to be kind to one another. Staff swiftly distract away from any unwanted behaviours and help children to start to manage their own feelings. They praise and encourage children as they attempt to do things for themselves. This builds children's confidence and self-esteem.

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

• The newly appointed manager has a clear vision for future developments at the nursery. She is aware of staff's strengths and aspects of their practice that can be developed further. The manager demonstrates a clear vision about her intention to provide a curriculum to support children's learning.
• Staff understand the intent of the curriculum and know what they want children to learn. However, this is not yet embedded securely with all staff. Some staff are less confident about how the curriculum should be implemented. This means that some children do not remain deeply engaged in their learning. However, overall, interactions are positive between staff and children.
• Many children join the setting with skills below those expected for their age. Staff recognise this and focus foremost on giving children the emotional support they need to feel safe, happy and eager to learn.
• Staff are vigilant and alert to any signs of delay. Screening for speech and language is undertaken to ensure children are at their expected developmental stage. Children who need additional support regarding their speech and language development are supported at the earliest opportunity, helping to secure swift progress. This includes those children who have English as additional language. Overall, staff model language well during their interactions. However, on occasion, staff ask too many questions rather than providing a rich range of language during their interactions.
• Staff nurture children's love of books, which helps them to develop a love of reading. Children sit alone or choose to look at a book with their friends. They listen intently while staff or a parent read a story. Children learn to respect books and turn the pages carefully.
• All children enjoy being creative and use a range of tools to make marks. They develop their fine motor skills as they roll and squeeze the play dough. Children delight in decorating their cakes with their parents and making Valentine cards. As a result, children develop confidence and strength in their physical skills.
• Staff say that they feel supported by the management team and morale is high. They work together extremely well. Opportunities to attend training are available. Some staff are currently undertaking training that will enhance their level of qualification in early years. This helps to improve their personal effectiveness and improves outcomes for children.
• The nursery has strong partnerships with parents. Parents say that they value the sharing of information about their children's learning, and they are happy with their children's progress. Parents enjoy attending events such as stay-and-play sessions. They say that their children 'love coming here'. The staff listen and act on suggestions to improve the service. For example, in response to parents' requests, the nursery now opens earlier to enable children to have a breakfast. This has had a positive impact on children's learning, as well as their energy levels.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• deepen staff's understanding of how to deliver a consistently high-quality curriculum that is securely embedded throughout the nursery
• increase staff's confidence in providing children with a rich range of language during interactions to help further support their communication and language.