See-Saws Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children arrive happy at the nursery. They are greeted by friendly staff who know all children and their families well. This helps children to settle well and feel safe and secure.

Pre-school children enjoy joining in with the vast amount of activities on offer. Children choose to explore play dough or paint. Others engage in role play and screw together pretend nuts and bolts. These activities support children's small-muscle skills and concentration. Younger children spend time playing with different materials, pretend chicks and rabbits. They carefully count out how many rabbits there are. They enjoy learning new words to describe the animals and materials. This helps to build on their communication and mathematical skills. Babies delight as they grab, roll, push and pull various cause-and-effect toys. This supports children's physical development well.

Staff have high expectations for all children. Older children generally behave well and know the nursery rules. Younger children establish close relationships with staff. This helps them to develop good levels of self-esteem. All children show positive attitudes towards their play and learning. They make good progress and are ready for the next stage in their development.

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

• The curriculum is well designed to provide children with the sequence of learning they need to make good progress. Information gathered from assessments and observations is used effectively to plan for what children need to learn next. This ensures that children are ready and well prepared for their next stage in learning.
• All children benefit from the language-rich environment. Staff are positive role models and give babies and older children time to talk, practise babbling and make sounds. This supports older children to build on their vocabulary and gives younger children the opportunity to develop their emerging language skills. Parents comment on the great progress their children have made with their communication and language since starting at the nursery.
• Parents report how safe and happy their children feel at the nursery. They say how pleased they are with the progress their children make and how the nursery also extends their children's learning at home. Parents comment that they appreciate the excellent daily verbal and written feedback they receive.
• Staff are positive role models for children. They are kind and encourage children to use good manners. However, on occasion, some staff do not fully reinforce the nursery rules and boundaries to children as well as they could. As a result, at times, some children do not fully understand what is expected of them.
• Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are well supported. The manager and staff team have high expectations for all children and have formed strong links with external agencies. They devise targeted plans of support for each child. This ensures that all children, including those with SEND, make good progress.
• Staff plan stimulating activities that capture children's interests and extend their learning. They engage well with children, are helpful, and ask open-ended questions to extend their thinking and vocabulary. However, at times, some staff do not encourage children to independently solve problems when they encounter difficulties. For example, when some children struggle to use items such as paintbrushes and play dough tools, staff sometimes intervene too quickly and do it for them.
• The nursery environment is stimulating, welcoming and reflects the families and community it serves. The manager and staff team know all children and families well. They learn about all children's individual cultures, families and festivals. This contributes to children's high levels of self-esteem.
• Children enjoy being active and are offered healthy snacks and meals. During mealtimes, staff talk to children about the importance of healthy eating, regular exercise and staying hydrated.
• Leaders and managers show great commitment to supporting staff's well-being and professional development. This supports staff's practice and ensures that they are motivated and feel well supported.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• build further on older children's understanding of behaviour expectations, to help increase their ability to regulate their own behaviours
• build on the already good levels of teaching to ensure that interactions with children enable them to further extend their problem-solving skills to the highest possible level.