Roade Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Staff are caring and nurturing. They build strong relationships with children and their families. Children show they feel comfortable as they are happy and settled throughout the day. Younger children approach staff for a cuddle if they need one. Older children feel confident to talk to staff about how they are feeling. Staff model how to use their manners, and children are polite. They wait for all their friends to be served before beginning to eat their meals. Staff support children to share and take turns.

Children benefit from a well planned curriculum. Staff prepare children for their next stage of learning, and older children show they are ready to start school. Staff teach children about the world around them and read books that celebrate diversity. Children learn to celebrate their own uniqueness and be accepting when people are different. Staff sing familiar songs and nursery rhymes with children to help support their language skills. Children enjoy a range of creative activities and make their own medals from shiny paper and ribbon after completing an obstacle course outside. Staff compare the medals to those they have recently seen on television at the Olympics. Staff support children's physical development skills as they teach young children how to climb steps safely.

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

• Older children become increasingly independent. They wash their hands and faces before mealtimes. Staff support them to recognise their name as they choose their seat at the table. Staff model how to use knives and forks correctly, and children copy this well. Children begin to recognise their own belongings as they find their sun hats before going outside.
• On the whole, staff manage children's behaviour well. Leaders have recently introduced a new system for behaviour management, which they feel is working well. When children display unwanted behaviour, staff quickly intervene and ask children to stop. However, staff do not always explain to children why their behaviour is unacceptable. This means that children do not always understand why they cannot do things, or further their understanding of right and wrong.
• Staff support children's communication and language skills well. The staff who work with the youngest children are particularly skilful with their interactions. They thoughtfully adapt their speech and choice of vocabulary to suit the developmental stage of each child. Staff model words correctly when children struggle, and they encourage children to use new words. As a result, children are becoming increasingly confident communicators and able to express their needs.
• Overall, staff know their key children very well. They consider specific next steps in learning for each child and support their development well. Staff show they are able to adapt their teaching during group activities to provide each child with tailored learning and help them make progress towards their next steps. However, when a child's key person is absent, other staff are not always clear about what the key person wants the child to learn or how to fully support their development.
• Staff are knowledgeable and passionate about supporting children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. They liaise with a range of other professionals to ensure all children receive the help they need and the best possible support to help them make progress. Staff identify potential delays in children's learning swiftly and share this information with parents. They create targeted learning plans for children who need them, and have a close oversight to ensure that gaps in learning are not widening.
• Partnerships with parents are strong. Staff consistently share information about children's learning and the progress they make. Parents speak highly of the communication they receive from the nursery and say they feel supported to help their children's learning at home. Parents praise the friendly staff and speak positively of the many opportunities they receive to visit the nursery for special events and to spend time with their child and their key person.
• Leaders prioritise staff well-being. They ensure staff feel valued and supported. Staff feel appreciated and say that leaders help them to develop their practice and offer a range of training opportunities.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• further staff skills to consistently provide children with explanations about unwanted behaviour so that children are able to develop an awareness of the consequences of their actions
• review the systems for information- sharing between staff so that all children receive tailored teaching and learning at all times, including when their key person is absent.