Rossall Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are safe and happy at nursery. They form secure attachments with the attentive staff who want all children to feel at home. Parents now drop children off at the entrance to their classroom after precautions to reduce the spread of COVID-19 relaxed. This enables children to have a smooth transition from home to nursery. If they become upset leaving their parents, their key person comforts them. Parents say children settle quickly.

Children enjoy exploring a range of activities. For example, they pull fresh garden herbs from play dough. They develop hand-eye coordination as they pull the dough apart and lift the herbs to their noses. Staff help younger babies to move to different areas. They show them books and musical instruments. Babies respond with happy sounds when staff talk to them. Staff are highly attentive to children's needs. They offer bottles of milk when children show they are hungry. Staff help children drift off to sleep, remaining nearby, when they tire.

Children behave well. They respond to staff when asked to help tidy away. They follow known routines, excitedly coming to the carpet for songs and stories. Staff have high expectations for what young children can learn to do. They encourage them to keep trying with new skills. When children succeed, they delight in the praise staff give them.

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

• Partnership with parents is strong. Parents say they feel well informed about how their children are progressing. They appreciate the ideas staff suggest for learning at home. This is further supported by stay-and-play sessions, where parents can see how their children like to learn. This helps parents support their children's development and prepare for their next stage of learning.
• Children are physically active. They regularly explore the woods and beach, securely accessed from the private grounds. Children develop muscle strength and stability as they crawl and walk on different surfaces. They learn to balance as they climb through low-level trees.
• Staff form positive relationships with the children. They model good manners and show children how to share with their peers. As a result, children listen and respond to staff. They happily offer toys and books to staff, visitors and younger babies.
• Staff share a common vision for what they want children to know and learn. They work with the manager to plan activities that will help children take the next step in their development. For example, they set out puppets and textured books to encourage children to make sounds in their play. With staff support, this helps children learn through play and increases their focus.
• Staff talk to children about what they are doing. They introduce new words and give children time to process and respond. However, they do not consistently gain eye contact with children or model how to say words. This means children do not attempt to repeat the words in that moment.
• The dedicated manager regularly reflects on the quality of learning and development. When she sees areas for development, she mentors staff and finds relevant training courses. As a result, staff's understanding of children's learning and development deepens over time.
• Those with oversight and governance support the manager in her role. They have regular meetings to discuss how to achieve the best outcomes for the youngest children. They consider how to provide strong foundations through early learning experiences. The manager and headteacher of the preparatory school and nursery share a vision to give children confidence as they move through to the provision for older children. This joined-up approach helps provide consistency as children progress.
• Staff teach children to become increasingly independent. For example, they offer babies spoons to help them learn how to feed themselves. Staff model how to use knives and forks as they eat alongside older children. They show them how to scoop vegetables onto their plate at lunchtime. As a result, children develop their skill and gain confidence in their own abilities.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• develop further staff understanding of how to support the development of speech and language for young children.