Ruislip Stars Nurseries Ltd

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are welcomed warmly by the friendly staff. They arrive happy and eager to start their day. Staff form secure bonds with children, which helps them to feel safe and secure. There is an atmosphere of care, nurture and love throughout the nursery. Staff implement an ambitious curriculum that enables all children to make good progress in their learning and development. Children enjoy the wide range of activities available to them. For example, younger children smile and laugh as they splash in the water tray. Older children spend time rolling dough with their hands, explaining, 'I want to make a ball.'

Children behave well. Staff have high expectations of children's behaviour. They show respect and listen to what children say. They provide gentle reminders and explanations to help children learn about rules and boundaries. Staff help children learn about different emotions. Children show excitement as they work together to create an emotions board and discuss what makes them feel happy. Children declare, 'My mummy and daddy make me feel happy,' as they add their drawings to the board.

The key-person system is effective. Staff spend a great deal of time gathering information from parents and learning about what makes each child unique. The provision for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities is strong, and they make good progress. Staff work effectively in partnership with other agencies involved in children's care, learning and development.

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

• Leaders work extremely well together. They are dedicated and passionate about providing children with the best possible start in life. They are reflective, proactive and strive to make changes to any areas they identify for development. There is a culture of constant improvement in the setting. Staff have ongoing opportunities to build on and develop their knowledge and learning. Staff comment that they feel supported and respected. There is a real sense that this is a nursery where everyone has a voice and everyone is valued.
• Parents are very happy with the care that is provided to their children. They explain that one of the key strengths is the ongoing and detailed communication and feedback they receive. They comment that their children have made a great deal of progress, particularly with their independence and language skills.
• Children enjoy regular opportunities to share books and stories. Staff enhance children's experiences using familiar stories. For example, children enjoy acting out parts of the story 'The Gingerbread Man' during their outside play. Children have weekly visits to the local library, where they have opportunities to choose and look at new books that interest them.
• Staff support communication development well. They narrate what children are doing and show genuine interest in what children have to say. Songs play a big part of the curriculum, and staff incorporate a number of different songs into activities. For example, children are fascinated as they use tweezers to explore different creatures, such as 'spiders' in the tray filled with soil. Staff and children happily start to sing 'Incy Wincy Spider' as they study the different parts of the spider together.
• Staff work closely as a team to plan activities and experiences that will spark interest and excitement from the children. They are fully engaged in children's play and learning. However, sometimes, through this enthusiasm, staff do not always follow children's interests as much as they could. This means children's critical thinking skills are not always fully supported.
• Staff know children's needs well. They understand children's home lives, their starting points when they join and their progress over time. They use this knowledge to support children's learning and care needs to a high level. Staff identify gaps in children's learning swiftly and put plans in place to support these.
• Children develop a good understanding of early mathematics. Staff introduce mathematical language into daily activities. This helps children to develop an understanding of numbers and measures in everyday life. For example, children count how many pieces of fruit they have on their plate, after they have independently cut them.
• Staff teach children about the importance of healthy lifestyles. For example, they teach children to brush their teeth, and children know they need to wash their hands before eating. Staff provide regular opportunities for children to exercise outdoors and enjoy the fresh air. Children show immense joy as they explore the sand tray and run in races with their friends. Children laugh loudly and have big, broad smiles when they find a puddle to jump in.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• continue to support staff to recognise when to follow children's interests and fascinations to further support their curiosity and engagement.