Riverside Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children run down the pathway when they arrive at the nursery, happy to greet staff and visitors. They receive a smile and 'hello' from staff, who show they are pleased to see them. These positive interactions with staff help children to feel secure in their care. Children show an interest in helping to maintain a safe environment for themselves and others to play in. For instance, when there are oats on the floor, children willingly help staff use sweeping brushes to remove the potential slip hazard.

Pre-school children show excitement to listen to stories. Staff use animation in their voice and ask children to join in with familiar repeated phrases. Children copy actions in the story. This includes using their imaginations as they use cardboard tubes as telescopes. This helps children to follow the story and maintain their focus. Children in the baby area are able to make connections in their learning. For instance, staff provide opportunities for them to feel the texture of food before they are offered it at snack time. This includes showing children how to lift oats in their hands and use a spoon to mix them together. Children are then offered porridge to eat. In the garden, children are physically active. They develop their balance and coordination as they walk across obstacle courses. Staff support them, if needed, offering a helping hand and reminding them to hold out their arms to balance, which helps to promote their safety.

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

• Staff support children in the pre-school room to listen and pay attention, helping them to learn essential skills for their move on to school. One example is when staff give children a sand timer, as a visual aid, to demonstrate to them how long they should sit during group times. This helps to focus children's attention.
• Staff use facilities in the host children's centre to provide additional activities for children. This includes taking children to a sensory room to explore the environment and learn through their senses. For instance, staff ask children to put their hands on bubble tubes to feel the vibration. They help them learn how to change the lights on pieces of equipment.
• Children are encouraged to complete tasks for themselves. For instance, staff working with toddlers give them time and encouragement to take off their shoes and coats by themselves. In the pre-school room, staff ask children to serve their food at lunchtime and pour their own drinks.
• The manager reflects on practice and seeks the views of parents. Parents comment that improvements have been made to the outdoor area. This includes adding a sandpit inside the playhouse to encourage children to develop their social skills as they play alongside others. Children are able to take and manage risks. For example, they climb to the top of wooden ladders, where they then have the opportunity to paint, which supports the development of their early writing skills.
• The manager uses additional funding effectively. This includes using the money to provide ingredients for the cook to offer freshly prepared meals for children. This contributes to children receiving a healthy diet, which promotes their good health.
• During mealtimes, children learn about different countries around the world. For example, staff play music from Mexico and show them the country on a globe as children eat food that originates from that country.
• Staff praise children for their achievements. This includes giving them a 'high five' when children use steps to climb and a thumbs up when they recognise numbers. However, staff do not always model the positive behaviours they expect of children. For example, when staff read a story to the children, they sit on the table, which children are not allowed to do. This may be confusing for children.
• Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are supported well by the manager and staff. Other professionals show staff how to provide targeted support for children's individual needs. They give them equipment to use to help children engage in learning with their peers.
• Overall, the manager and staff use the curriculum well to support children's communication and language skills. For example, staff working with the babies use repetitive words to support their developing speech. However, some children who speak English as an additional language do not receive support for their language development or to understand some daily routines. For example, staff do not gather information about all children's home language to help support their learning.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support staff to model positive behaviours consistently in order to help children understand what is expected of them
• gather information about all children's home languages to enable staff to support their understanding of routines and language development.