Scallywags Parent Partnership Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children receive warm and nurturing care at the nursery. They are confident and comfortable in the environment, and access the resources available to them. Staff support children's communication and language development by asking effective questions. This encourages back-and-forth interactions, helping children to extend their vocabulary and learn new words. Secure relationships with staff mean that children are confident to let adults know of their needs and wishes, and seek support from them when needed. Parents are welcomed inside the nursery to support separation. This helps children to settle with ease and make a confident start to the day.

A well-planned and secure induction process means that staff know children's starting points. They work closely with parents to share next steps, which supports children to make good progress in their learning. The nursery is clean and tidy and there is a strong focus on hygiene and cleanliness. For example, children are asked what they need to do before snack time. They respond by saying 'wash our hands'. This promotes children developing good hygiene and self-care habits. Children are encouraged to be kind to each other. They respond positively to this by sharing their toys and waiting for their turn. This helps to create a calm learning environment for children.

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

• Staff assess children's needs and work sensitively with parents and carers to plan next steps. Regular updates keep them informed of the progress children are making. The nursery requests support from external agencies as needed.
• Staff help children to grow fruit and vegetables in the nursery garden. This helps children to connect with the food they eat. They suggest with excitement that they can make strawberry yoghurt with the strawberries they grow, which helps them to make links in their learning.
• Mixed-age groups play alongside each other at nursery. This provides opportunities for older children to model expected behaviours and for younger children to observe and interact with older children. However, staff do not always use effective strategies to help younger children to fully engage with experiences and extend their learning even further.
• Staff use children's interests to help them learn through play. For example, they encourage them to squeeze and push play dough to strengthen the muscles in their hands. Children listen to and follow instructions at tidy-up time. They sort out objects and put them away, demonstrating a strong sense of responsibility for their environment.
• Lunchtime provides opportunities for children to learn new words and gain independence. Staff talk about 'yummy' food and 'crunchy' lettuce. They encourage children to pour their own drinks. Children respond by having a go and taking pride in what they achieve.
• Care routines are sensitive and respectful. Staff use visual clues to seek children's permission, helping them to understand what will be happening. Adults use the time to talk to children about what they are doing, helping them to be a part of the process.
• Staff use opportunities throughout the day to help children learn rules and boundaries. Children are encouraged to listen to each other and value each other's opinions. This creates a calm and nurturing learning environment.
• Children take part in cultural celebrations and traditions, helping them to celebrate differences and similarities. On occasion, children are not fully supported to use their home language as they play and learn, in order to raise their achievements even further.
• Parent partnership is a great strength at the nursery. Parents spend time in the nursery volunteering, reading books and helping to prepare snacks and meals. Consistent two-way communication promotes a shared understanding of children's development.
• Parents speak highly of the nursery and the very helpful staff team. They share that their children are learning to socialise with other children and learn new songs and rhymes.
• Children listen to familiar stories with interest, making connections in what they know. They talk with enthusiasm about how caterpillars turn into butterflies and fly away. This promotes their listening and language skills.
• The manager keeps up to date with developments in early years by accessing training, including that which is offered by the local authority. She spends time alongside the team, modelling best practice and supporting children. She receives support from the nursery trustees as and when needed.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• implement activities more effectively to enable younger children to fully benefit from experiences that extend their learning further
• promote the use of home language to support communication and language for children who speak English as an additional language.