Regents Park Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Staff strive for excellency and have a passion for all children to thrive in this nursery. There is a strong ethos to nurture children, who quickly settle into the nursery. There are effective systems in place to identify disadvantaged families and provide them with timely support. Children establish positive attachments to staff. They learn how to make friendships with their peers. Younger children quickly develop a rapport with older children. They call each other by name and show empathy while they engage in purposeful dialogue. Staff consistently speak in a calm tone and polite manner. This helps children to develop the security and reassurance to ask staff for help, if needed.

Staff have an impressive knowledge of child development. This helps children to benefit from a rich set of experiences across all areas, so they make exceptional progress. There is a well-thought-out curriculum, which staff carefully sequence. This helps children to achieve their developmental milestones and lay the foundation for the next phase of their education. Staff tailor their planning to suit the individual needs of children. They model ambitious vocabulary and have high expectations for all children. Staff embed positive behaviour to help children to understand their expectations. They explicitly teach children to recognise their emotions so that they feel listened to.

Staff take pride in the environment. They provide stimulating resources and an inviting outdoor space so that children can link ideas to what they are learning. Children enjoy engaging in sensory play. There are many opportunities for children to manipulate objects and practise using fine motor tools. Children learn to successfully use tennis rackets and balls, confidently jump through hoops and engage with art and craft materials. They build excellent coordination skills.

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

• Staff have excellent systems in place to assess what children know and can do. They work collaboratively to plan activities that extend the most able children's learning. As a result, children are socially and academically very ready for school.
• Staff receive focused training to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. They focus on interventions to improve children's communication and language skills. This helps all children to catch up in their development.
• Staff model language extremely well. They teach specific vocabulary, which children model accurately during their play. Children become fluent in reading books and recall stories they hear staff share. This helps children to articulate themselves very well.
• Staff show high levels of enthusiasm while they sing familiar songs. Babies learn new words and structures of traditional nursery rhymes. They learn to use repetition and clap their hands while moving in time to the rhythm. This lays the foundation for their future learning in literacy.
• Staff have excellent systems in place to help children to transition between rooms. They put children at ease to minimise any worries about changes. This helps children to look forward to moving on and successfully settle in their new rooms.
• During mealtime routines, staff engage toddlers in reflective thinking through well-chosen questions. Children learn to participate in meaningful discussions. They very confidently link new ideas with their previous learning.
• When children are ready for toilet training, staff share information with parents and carers in a timely way. This helps children to develop the essential skills to become independent. Staff encourage babies to take their first steps. Babies are motivated to walk as their mobility increases.
• Staff model vocabulary related to children's emotions. This helps children to identify when they feel upset. Children gain skills to manage their feelings. As a result, they build the ability to very successfully control their emotions.
• In the pre-school room, staff teach children about specific concepts, such as measurement and numbers. Staff use a range of questioning to develop children's thinking skills. As a result, children engage in complex problem-solving and learn to be inquisitive.
• Staff plan educational trips to deepen children's knowledge of the wider world. Children talk about visits to the zoo and other real-world experiences. Staff use these experiences to reinforce children's learning across the curriculum.
• Children learn about the importance of their health and well-being, such as through gardening and involvement in sports sessions. They confidently talk about how to take care of their bodies. Children demonstrate a deep understanding of how to maintain their health.
• There is a supportive work culture, and staff work successfully together. This helps to cultivate the necessary skills to enhance the nursery further. Staff are highly experienced and have a drive to succeed. They receive a thorough programme of specialist training to excel in their roles and to embed the curriculum.
• There are exceptional partnerships with parents. Staff engage in meaningful communication with parents so that they understand what their children are learning. This enables parents to teach their children specific skills at home.