Rise and Shine Early Years

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are incredibly happy in the nursery. This view is supported by parents, who say their children love coming. Staff work hard to provide a nurturing environment where children are able to relax in their home-from-home environment. Children form strong relationships with staff. Younger children seek out familiar adults to play with. For example, they play alongside staff as they draw on large sheets of paper. Babies fall asleep in staff's arms, demonstrating how settled they are. Staff have reflected on the latest guidance in relation to eating. They have reviewed their procedures so that children are well supervised and can eat without distraction. This helps to keep children safe.

The curriculum is ambitious and well sequenced. Staff have thought carefully about the skills children need to learn over time. For example, staff have identified the skills that babies need in their communication and physical skills before they move to the next room. This helps to ensure that the curriculum is broad and balanced. Staff have clear expectations, which they share with children. For example, they remind two-year-old children about 'good sitting' and 'good listening'. Children respond well to these prompts. Staff intervene quickly to give children individual reminders as necessary. Children behave well as a result of this.

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

• Managers constantly evaluate their provision and identify areas for improvement. Staff are passionate about children learning outdoors and are developing the outdoor learning environment to give children more opportunities to learn about the world around them. Staff provide children with regular experiences at the beach. This often sparks further learning back in the nursery. For example, children learn about pirates and rock pooling. This helps to support children's enjoyment and learning.
• Staff in the baby room are incredibly caring and attentive. They know children as individuals and respond swiftly to their changing needs. For example, they notice when children are tired and follow their sleep routines from home. This supports children's care and well-being.
• Staff give clear messages to children about how they can keep themselves healthy. This includes talking to children about foods that are good for them. Older children access the school hall to support their physical development and learn about how their bodies feel after exercise. This helps children to develop an awareness of healthy lifestyles.
• Staff working with three-year-old children plan exciting and motivating activities. Children thoroughly enjoy going on a treasure hunt. Staff use questions effectively to encourage children to express their thoughts and ideas and talk about their environment. Activities such as these help children to maintain high levels of engagement.
• Staff support children's communication well. They listen to children carefully and repeat and extend what children say. Staff focus on introducing key words to younger children. For example, at snack, they teach children words such as 'apple' and 'milk'. This supports children's progress in their language and development.
• Staff are currently implementing a range of strategies to enhance children's learning, particularly during transitions. This includes developing children's counting skills as they line up. These strategies, however, are not yet sufficiently embedded to help children make even higher levels of progress in their mathematics.
• Staff support all children effectively, including those in receipt of funding, to make good progress. They work well with a range of professionals and act on their advice. They incorporate any targets into their planning. Parents comment that staff adapt the curriculum effectively. This helps support children's learning.
• Staff have a good relationship with parents and share a range of information with them. They use different methods, such as electronic applications and face- to-face meetings, to keep parents informed. Although leaders recognise that some parents do not access the application, they have not evaluated this procedure well enough to ensure key messages to parents have been read and understood.
• Managers support staff's well-being exceptionally well. They create a happy workplace. Staff comment that they can talk to them about anything and they are always on hand to help them to manage work alongside family commitments. Staff say that they do not think they could work anywhere else.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• embed strategies to support children's learning during transitions to help them make even better progress
• evaluate strategies to share key information with parents to support children's care and learning.