Sandcastles Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children become deeply involved in activities that interest them. For example, they choose when they want to play in the extensive garden, benefitting those who prefer to learn outdoors. Older children creatively build an obstacle course with beams and crates. They are encouraged to share their ideas and work collaboratively, gaining ownership of their construction. They show great delight when jumping off a box, challenging themselves and taking managed risks. Younger children also have many opportunities to develop their physical skills indoors and outdoors. They ride on trikes and confidently navigate a wooden climbing structure.

Older children are becoming confident communicators. They eagerly speak to visitors, telling them what they enjoy doing at nursery. Babies are beginning to engage in back-and-forth conversations. They look through books with an adult and make recognisable sounds when they see familiar pictures. Babies respond with a smile when adults use descriptive words, such as 'scrunch' to describe the noise that foil makes. Older children are introduced to more-complex words. When they identify a lizard in a book, they are told it is a 'chameleon'. They excitedly point to it, repeating the word. They find out that the chameleon changes colour to match its environment, building on their existing knowledge and understanding.

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

• The owner and manager work closely together to lead the team. They continually evaluate the setting and, as a result, have introduced a more child-centred approach to teaching and learning. There is a list of aspirations in each room that detail what staff want children to know and be able to do before they move up into the next age group. This contributes to creating an ambitious curriculum that fully prepares children for their next stage of learning.
• Staff know their key children well. They clearly describe the progress children have made and how they have implemented targeted support to meet children's individual needs. This effectively helps to close any gaps in children's learning and development.
• Strategies, such as visual timetables, support young children and those with specific learning needs to have a very good understanding of what is happening next. This helps to enhance their emotional well-being. Thoughtful provision is made for children who are unable or reluctant to express themselves verbally. For instance, adults sensitively offer a choosing card with pictures of juice or water so that all children can show their preference.
• Babies become engrossed in sensory activities and explore textures and sounds. Staff do not always consider that they are interrupting babies' learning and engagement in their chosen activity when, for example, they approach them to change their nappy.
• Children are very familiar with the rules and routines of the setting. When older children choose to have snack, they independently collect a cup and plate and place their name in a basket to show they have eaten. However, arrangements for younger children's mealtimes do not consistently take into account their differing skills and abilities.
• Adults expertly use their incidental observations and interactions to move children's learning on, helping to develop their skills further. For example, a child was shown how to use a tape dispenser. Once this was demonstrated to them, they were able to use the equipment independently and proudly displayed a sense of achievement.
• Despite parents not routinely entering the setting, a wide range of systems are in place to maintain contact and to share information. On the whole, these are successful in sustaining effective partnership working. Links with home were in place during the COVID-19 pandemic and these helped to ease children's return to nursery. Staff identified children who needed extra support and adapted the environment to help them feel comfortable and secure.
• Parents recognise that their children have made progress while at the nursery. They comment that their children eat better, have learned manners and have developed their communication skills both verbally and using signing techniques.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• review how routines are managed so that staff consistently allow children to continue their play and learning uninterrupted
• support staff to recognise how they can build on their already good interactions to further encourage children's independence and self-help skills.