Russell Hill Road Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children eagerly enter this safe and secure setting. They are happy and ready to begin their day. Staff greet children warmly, who part from their parents and carers with a wave, rushing inside to see their friends. Children are excited to learn. In the baby room, when staff set up a painting activity, babies babble and wave their arms in delight. Toddlers and pre-school children negotiate activities with curiosity. They are focused and engaged in their play. Children have unique experiences to continue to develop their knowledge of topics, such as through outings. For instance, when children learn about transport, they visit the aviation museum and plan to visit a transport museum. Prior to planting in the allotment area, children visited the garden centre to pick out the fruits they would like to grow.

Children's behaviour is good. They play cooperatively together. Children share resources and understand the need to take turns. They are quick to help others when needed, showing empathy, care and concern. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are well supported within the setting. Staff work closely with parents and ensure that referrals are made swiftly to make sure that children have the support that they need. All children make good progress from their starting points in learning.

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

• The manager is passionate about the opportunities which she wants to provide to children. She recognises the impact which the COVID-19 pandemic has had on children's learning and development. The manager has considered this when shaping the well-considered and broad curriculum. Staff understand what children already know and can do and what it is they need to learn next.
• Staff support children's language development well. Babies are offered lots of repetition. Across all age groups of children, staff share songs, rhymes and stories. They introduce new vocabulary when children play. In rooms for older children, staff engage children in meaningful conversations.
• Staff focus activities on children's interests and next steps in learning. Children show good levels of concentration. However, during group activities, staff do not consistently give individual children enough time to explore freely. They move all children on together, rather than extending children's learning further by following their interests to continue at a particular task.
• Children have access to a small farm at the back of the garden and 'beyond the fence'. They visit the farm every morning to feed the goats, pigs and chickens. In the afternoon, children return to put the animals to bed after feeding them again. Children show delight in supporting staff with these tasks. They talk with confidence about foods which the animals like and how to care for them.
• Children learn about the importance of healthy lifestyles. They benefit from freshly prepared and nutritionally balanced meals. Mealtimes are social and relaxed occasions. Children are encouraged to try new foods and learn how food fuels their bodies. They have opportunities to be physically active in the large outdoor garden as well as the smaller, inside soft-play area.
• Although children's independence is well supported in some areas, this is not consistent across the setting. Staff do not consistently encourage children to complete self-care tasks independently, such as wiping their own noses or putting on their coats.
• Staff celebrate the diversity of children and staff in the setting. They reinforce children's home languages, such as by making books available in dual languages within the library. Parents come and share musical instruments and stories and songs with children in their home languages. This helps children to learn about what is important to others.
• Partnership with parents is good. Parents who return to the setting with new siblings share how they like the warm and caring nature of staff. They feel involved with their children's learning and development, complimenting the communication of staff. Parents are encouraged to share feedback with the setting, which helps staff to reflect on their current practice.
• Staff report feeling well supported within the setting. They engage in regular supervision sessions, discussing their own career development and any concerns they may have. Staff are supported to engage in continuous development. They have access to an online training forum, subscriptions to early years journals and podcasts which discuss different aspects of child development.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• organise group activities to enable all children to explore fully, and extend and offer challenge to their learning
• develop consistency among staff in promoting children's independence in self-care tasks.