Saint Panteleimon Nursery School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are happy to attend this unique and nurturing setting. They form strong bonds with staff, who support and care for their well-being. The key-person system ensures that staff know the children well. The atmosphere is calm and relaxing as children freely explore and choose what activities they engage with. Children are encouraged to learn about their local community through planned regular outings and events. Parents visit the setting to share their occupations and skills, helping children to develop an understanding about the world around them while sowing seeds for future ambitions. Seasonal events further develop the sense of community, as parents visit and share an art and craft session after the Christmas concert.

All staff have a good knowledge of children's development and put in place early interventions for children who may need additional support. Staff work closely with multi-agency professionals to ensure that children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) get the correct support. Managers and staff access training from outside agencies so they can meet the needs of all children within the setting. All children behave well and develop a positive attitude to learning.

Children have many opportunities to develop their physical skills and understanding of the world around them. They return from a walk, talking excitedly about watching leaves fall. They describe colours and textures, making connections with the environment and the weather while being supported to use key words and phrases. This helps to secure and build their knowledge. Children are confident in sharing their understanding and knowledge with visitors, naming flower parts such as 'petals' and 'stem' as they eagerly describe how to create and draw one. They demonstrate their understanding of mathematics by counting out petals, and think about the use of colour and shapes to create their image. They work together to share and exchange their opinions, developing their understanding of compromise and collaborative working. As a result, children make the best possible progress in their learning and development.

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

• Leadership and management are strong. The manager is passionate about children's learning and the experiences they have in nursery. Leaders support staff effectively in their professional development. For example, they regularly observe staff practice and give feedback on what staff do well and where they can improve their teaching further. The well-being of staff is very important to leaders, and staff report that they feel well supported. Staff can self-refer for additional mentoring and mental well-being support.
• Children with SEND are supported extremely well. For example, the manager and staff are proactive in seeking support from professionals to obtain advice and intervention for children. Children benefit from targeted one-to-one support when needed. These interventions have a positive impact on children's progress and development. As a result, children with SEND make good progress.
• Children behave well within the setting. Children are polite to each other and use good manners when talking to staff. When they occasionally forget and want to play with a toy that another child has, staff gently remind them about taking turns and encourage sharing. Children settle back happily into their play.
• Children have a very good understanding of hygiene routines. Staff encourage children effectively to wash their hands before meals and after using the toilet. Children wipe their noses and dispose of used tissues safely. They are actively involved in supporting their self-care needs and are consistently praised for their efforts.
• Parent partnership is strong. Parents report how happy they are with the setting and how much their children have developed and flourished. Staff give regular feedback to parents, both verbally and online. They have meetings with parents to discuss children's progress and support for their next steps in learning.
• Staff support children who speak English as an additional language very well. For example, they obtain key words in children's home languages, which they use during settling-in sessions. Children's home languages are valued in the setting. Staff translate key words and match these to visual aids to help children understand and communicate their wishes. This is further reinforced as some staff speak the same home languages, which aids the settling-in process. However, when staff occasionally use a home language to support children in the wrong context this can cause interference with planned learning.
• Settling-in sessions and transitions from one room to another are well managed to support children's emotional development. Staff are kind and patient with children new to the nursery or room and gently support them to join in with the new routines.
• Staff have a good understanding of what children know and can do. Staff plan the curriculum around the children's interests and next steps in learning. However, at times, staff do not precisely plan activities around children's current abilities and individual skills to the highest level. For instance, group activities do not always target the learning needs of some children or challenge them appropriately.
• Communication and language are embedded throughout the curriculum. Staff constantly talk to children during activities, introducing new words and praising children when they repeat the word. This gives children a sense of achievement and pride in their abilities. All children make good progress in relation to their individual starting points. Staff monitor children's progress and assess their levels of development accurately. This helps to identify what they need to learn next.
• Staff skilfully create excitement in their storytelling. For example, they introduce the title and back page, make reference to the blurb and use props to help children connect with the story. Children develop a love for stories and books. They enjoy listening to familiar stories and show anticipation, knowing what comes next. Listening to the story, some children use words and phrases well as they join in regular refrains. For instance, as the children sit to listen to 'Owl Babies', staff make simple connections with children's emotions about how they feel when their mothers return to collect them.
• Children learn about healthy lifestyles as staff engage in conversations with them during snack and mealtimes. Staff speak positively about having helped families to understand and pack healthy snacks and meals. Parents also comment on how this has helped them with supporting children to make healthier choices at home.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• consider the delivery of opportunities for children to extend higher levels of curiosity in new areas of learning.