Saplings (Childrens) Day Nursery Ltd

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children thoroughly enjoy their time at the setting. They develop meaningful relationships with staff, who are passionate, immensely caring, and kind. Children learn about what makes them unique as they share their family books with their friends in the quiet area. They point out photos of family members and chat about their pets. Children show a real interest in each other's families, and they discuss the people who are important to them. This helps children to develop a secure sense of belonging and identity.

Children benefit from a language-rich environment that supports their early communication skills well. For instance, children play a game called 'what's in the bag'. They take turns to pick an object of interest out of the bag and explore it before having a go at naming it. Staff repeat the word and ask children questions to test their understanding. Children hear the same word multiple times, which supports word formation and pronunciation. This helps all children to develop the skills they will need to be effective communicators.

Children develop positive attitudes to their learning as they engage in activities that build their listening skills, concentration, and confidence. Children learn to be helpful, and they take pride when completing tasks, such as tidying up. Older children start to find solutions to their problems. For instance, when a child struggles to lift a heavy box of toys during tidy-up time, children notice this and offer help. They take a handle of the box to share the load.

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

• Managers and staff are passionate about children's learning and care. Managers provide staff with a variety of opportunities to develop their teaching skills through effective supervision, training, and coaching. This helps them to deliver the ambitious and well-sequenced curriculum successfully. Staff monitor children's progress carefully to identify any potential gaps in their learning. They work in partnership with parents and other professionals to ensure that all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, receive the early intervention they need at the earliest opportunity. This helps all children to make steady progress from their starting points.
• Children have lots of opportunities to develop their early understanding of mathematics. This helps to prepare them well for their eventual move to school. Children enjoy developing their number recognition through interesting activities. For instance, children use tools to unearth hidden numbers in the dinosaur tray. They move their hands in pretend muddy dinosaur swamps to find the number blocks, and name each number to the value of five.
• Staff support children's early literacy skills well. This helps children to develop an understanding that text has meaning. For instance, staff follow children's interest in shopping and use this as an opportunity to develop children's language and mark-making skills. Children name each food item that they find in the role-play kitchen, while staff support them to make a list on the electronic writing pad. Older children enjoy challenging their understanding of initial sounds, as they sound out words, such as 'e' for 'elf', during a game of 'I-spy'.
• Staff help children to develop a good understanding of their feelings. For instance, children explore what emotions might look like, as they use mirrors to match their facial expression to an emotion. Staff extend this further as they discuss what might make children feel scared, happy, and sad. Consistent routines help children to feel secure and gain an understanding of what is happening next. However, on occasion, transitions between activities can lack organisation. This can unsettle some children and take them longer to re-engage in activities, particularly after lunch.
• Children develop their physical skills during their time at the setting. This helps them to develop the motor skills they will need for future writing. For instance, babies develop their grip as they use paint brushes to remove foam from toy dinosaurs. Older children strengthen their large arm movements as they use rollers dipped in water to create patterns on a large blackboard in the garden.
• Staff have made significant improvements in the way they support children's behaviour. For instance, they involve children in the creation and implementation of the rules, which helps them to develop a good understanding of the expectations of their behaviour. Staff work with other professionals to develop strategies that support children's positive behaviour and ensure that these are delivered with consistency. This helps children to behave well.
• Partnership working with parents is effective. Staff provide parents with regular information about their child's care and learning. This includes what children will be learning next and ways in which parents can extend children's learning at home. This provides children with consistency. Parents speak highly of staff and describe how they have been a 'life saver' during times of family stress.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• ensure that activities are well prepared and organised, so that children can transition through the routine with minimal disruption to their care and learning.