S4YC @ Victoria Road

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Staff get to know children at the nursery very well. They form lovely relationships with them and are highly alert to their individual needs and routines. Staff recognise that new babies need more support and provide lots of physical contact. Babies form attachments to their key person quickly which helps them to feel safe and secure. Staff help children to learn about good behaviours, such as sharing and turn taking. They provide opportunities for children to practise these skills, for instance when taking turns choosing a song to sing. Children demonstrate a great deal of patience when their friends need more support to take turns. Staff help children to develop an understanding of one another's differing needs from an early age. This teaches children about differences and being inclusive.

Staff have a good understanding of what they want children to learn and adapt the curriculum well for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). The curriculum for physical development is particularly well implemented and children truly flourish when in the outdoor areas. Their imagination comes to life as they use cardboard boxes to recreate things they are familiar with, such as baby cots. Children cleverly use large sheets of paper as blankets to cover one another during their game of 'babies'. They are motivated learners who are well prepared for the next stage of their development.

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

• The provider met their legal responsibility by notifying Ofsted of a significant event whereby the risk assessments for the premises were not carried out effectively. Since the event, leaders have taken swift and efficient action, such as reviewing policies and implementing more robust checks of the environment, to prevent a reoccurrence and keep children safe.
• Leaders plan a broad and inclusive curriculum which is sequenced well across the different age groups. They use children's assessments and interests to plan learning experiences that build on their existing skills. Staff have a good understanding of the curriculum intentions and adapt their teaching to support children's unique learning styles. This helps to ensure all children make good progress.
• Overall, staff implement the curriculum well and children have a lovely attitude to learning. However, at times, the organisation of the pre-school room is not well thought out. Although staff split children into smaller groups to learn, they do not consider how background noise and the noise levels from each group effects the others. For example, some children listen to a story while others listen to music. This hinders children's attention and prevents them from concentrating consistently.
• The curriculum for communication and language development is well embedded.
• Staff working with babies incorporate songs, such as 'five little ducks' into their water play activity. Toddler age children confidently select 'song spoons' and sing the corresponding songs with actions. Children eagerly ask questions and are keen to chat back-and-forth with adults and their friends. Older children use words, such as 'abracadabra' when creating magic potions. All children are developing lovely, fluent speaking skills.
• The procedures for supporting children with SEND are strong. Leaders implement targeted learning plans for children who have fallen behind and make timely referrals to outside agencies. Additional funding is used effectively to enhance the provision and narrow the gaps in children's learning. Children with SEND are very happy at nursery. They make good progress and are well prepared for the next stage in their education.
• Staff promote children's literacy development well. They engage children in activities, such as 'squiggle while you wiggle'. This teaches children to practice moving their arms into different shapes in the air, before then copying these movements onto paper using chalks. This strengthens children's large and small muscles in preparation for early writing.
• Leaders have secure arrangements in place to support children who are transitioning to school. Teachers from schools visit children in the nursery to observe them where they are most settled. Nursery staff attend visits to school and provide teachers with information that will support them when settling children into reception. This helps children to feel excited about school and promotes their social and emotional well-being.
• The staff team work well together to share good practice and disseminate what they learn from training. Leaders carry out supervision meetings and provide staff with some general targets for improvement. However, not all staff know their own individual targets and are unsure of how they can improve their skills further. Consequently, there are some gaps in knowledge which creates some inconsistencies in the quality of education across the team.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• review the organisation of small-group times in the pre-school room, including the noise level, to help children build their attention skills more effectively
• provide staff with continuous feedback on their performance and targets for improvement to help strengthen their skills and knowledge further.