Riverside Nursery Schools, Holly Road Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children arrive at nursery happy and confident. They are greeted warmly by staff who know them well. This helps them to settle quickly. Children are excited to engage in a variety of well-planned learning experiences. The curriculum is duly focused on all areas of learning and children's interests are fully considered. The impact is that all children are making good progress. Staff plan a stimulating and accessible learning environment. Children are confident to initiate their own play. Staff facilitate children's independence; encouraging them to help themselves to snacks and drinks when they are hungry or thirsty. Younger children are observed to enjoy this responsibility and manage their needs very well. Staff sit with children who have chosen to eat to ensure they stay safe. They engage in conversations with children, encouraging the development of their communication skills.

Staff are skilled in teaching older and the most-able children to ensure they receive effective challenges to support their progress. For example, staff teach children about shapes and matching to help them create intricate patterns. Children are proud to share their knowledge as they explain they have made a butterfly using squares, triangles, hexagons, and rectangles. Children concentrate and persevere as staff motivate them to complete complex 100-piece puzzles. Staff role model polite and respectful behaviours. This has a positive impact on children's relationships with one another. They work cooperatively as they build a large aeroplane with construction straws. Staff ensure a safe space is available so this can remain intact and so that children can continue with this interest after lunch. This supports children to feel valued and develop positive attitudes to learning.

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

• Safeguarding practice in the setting has greatly improved. All staff including managers have received recent safeguarding training. The impact is that they are confident in their roles and responsibilities in keeping children safe. Improved supervision and induction procedures for all staff, including agency staff, has ensured that safeguarding matters are discussed regularly. In addition, the detailed recording of accidents and injuries means that records are more thorough, providing an accurate summary to parents. This detail has also increased the monitoring of accidents in the environment. Overall, this is enhancing and prioritising the safeguarding culture in the setting.
• The manager has a good overview of the curriculum. She has high expectations for her staff team in delivering good-quality learning experiences for all children. She spends time in the rooms modelling good practice. Staff feel supported and valued. They express they are happy in their roles and appreciate the support they receive in gaining additional qualifications. Staff express they work well as a team. The impact for children is that they receive warm care and attention. Staff know their key children well. They are confident to talk about their interests and are clear about the next steps that are needed to support their progression.
• Children's communication skills are prioritised. Staff plan exciting and interactive story sessions using props to engage children's attention. They use good questioning skills to encourage children to think about the story and to share what they can see. For example, children are praised when they remember that honeycomb is made by bees. Staff encourage children to observe and count the food that the caterpillar has eaten. Children have a voice as staff involve them in choosing the books to read and songs to sing at circle time. However, some children's learning is interrupted, as staff take them for a nappy change rather than waiting for this learning experience to end.
• Children enjoy engaging in a variety of physical pursuits. Staff effectively plan trips to the garden, where they set up physical challenges to support children to develop many valuable skills. For example, children are confident to balance, run, and play ball games as staff facilitate their learning outside. Children are delighted to play adult-led parachute games. Inside, children confidently climb within the indoor play area. Well-deployed staff help to keep children safe while also supporting them to develop new skills. Older children know that to keep safe, only four children at a time must play in the indoor area. They are confident to regulate the use of this facility, as staff have taught them how to use sand timers to take turns.
• Children who are new to the setting have settled well. It is evident that they have established secure emotional attachments with staff as they approach them for cuddles or to show an item of interest. These secure transitions have been confirmed by parents, who have expressed their children have settled well and enjoy coming to nursery. Parents feel well informed about their children's progress and how to support their children's learning at home. Parents with older children explain they are confident their children have developed the skills needed to be ready for school.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• review the organisation of daily routines, so that children's learning experiences are not disrupted.