Scribbles

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children settle quickly on arrival at this warm and welcoming nursery. Staff provide a nurturing environment, where children feel safe and secure. Children have access to a well-resourced indoor and outdoor area. They are free to play and explore independently. For example, young children enjoy role playing with baby dolls, feeding them and taking them for a walk.

All children understand the routines of the day. They receive good levels of support and reassurance from staff. This has a positive effect on children's confidence, behaviour and emotional well-being. Older children show that they are beginning to cooperate with each other and share resources independently. Staff teach children to do things for themselves whenever possible to help promote their independence. For example, children are encouraged to put their own coats on for outdoor play and to zip them independently.

Older children learn skills in preparation for school. For example, staff weave mathematical development throughout children's play activities. Children count and learn about 'more' and 'less'. They are supported to develop their literacy skills. Children show pride and excitement as they talk about their drawings and write their names. Older children learn about letters and the sounds that they make. Children learn about the wider world. For instance, they explore a range of national and international festivals and celebrations.

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

• Staff provide children with an ambitious curriculum that builds on what they know and can do. They use their good knowledge of children's next steps in development to plan activities that keep children motivated to learn. This helps gaps in children's learning to close and to prepare children well for their move on to school.
• In general, supervision and appraisal systems are effective. Staff comment that they feel supported and are encouraged to expand their knowledge through training. However, the current methods used to monitor staff's teaching skills are not focused sharply enough on raising the quality of their practice to the highest level. This influences the quality of education that children receive.
• Staff support children's communication and language skills well. They ask children appropriate questions and repeat words to younger children. Children enthusiastically join in with familiar songs and rhymes and are confident communicators.
• Overall, partnerships with parents are good. Parents describe the staff as welcoming and friendly. Staff share information with parents using an online app. They speak to parents on a daily basis about children's development and their day in the nursery. Children spend time with their key person and have good relationships in place. Overall, the key-person system is effective in supporting children's learning and development well. However, some parents are unaware of who their child's key person is. This means that, at times, staff are not able to consistently gather and share information that is tailored to children's care.
• Children have a variety of opportunities to support their physical development. For instance, they climb in the outdoor play area and dance to music. Children enjoy playing in the garden. They search for insects using magnifying glasses and pretend to make soup and pasta in the outdoor kitchen. Staff interact well with children and encourage them to use their imaginations.
• Overall, care practices are good. Staff provide healthy meals and talk to children about the importance of brushing their teeth. However, staff do not always teach children about the importance of following good hygiene practices. For example, staff do not always teach children about the importance of washing their hands thoroughly before snack times.
• Staff prepare healthy food on site each day and are aware of children's dietary requirements. Children and staff sit together at mealtimes. Staff support children's lively conversations. Children develop a positive attitude to food, and they behave courteously at the table.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• build on existing good systems for the monitoring of staff's performance to focus even more sharply on raising the practice of all individuals to the highest level
• embed methods to keep parents regularly updated about who their children's key person is, to help ensure that every child's care is precisely tailored to meet their individual needs
• reflect on the organisation of handwashing routines to ensure that they are fully effective in supporting children to understand about good health.