Seedling Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children make excellent progress at this nursery. They are happy and secure, and build exceptional relationships with staff. Children display impeccable behavioural skills. Staff support and reinforce these using visual prompts along with positive language. Children have access to large, open, well-organised spaces, which are clean and inviting. Children follow embedded routines meticulously, demonstrating a secure understanding of the nursery rules. They benefit from high-quality adult interactions, which propel their learning forward, based on their identified interests. There is a unique and highly ambitious curriculum in place for all children, which staff deliver skilfully. Children are enthusiastic about their learning and can remember what they have been taught. Multiple children talked about their learning around space from the previous week, discussing large rockets and moon rocks with each other.

Children's care routines are carried out sensitively. The nursery provides an exceptionally healthy menu, promoting diverse meals which consist of a starter and a main course. Dietary requirements and allergies are successfully considered and there are clear procedures for ensuring these are adhered to. All children have access to a large gym area where staff promote physical development, including climbing and balancing equipment and ball skills. Children have exciting opportunities to join in with extra activities provided by external companies, such as dance, which they engage with eagerly. The curriculum for this is fully aligned with that of the nursery as the manager provides the person leading these sessions with information on the key skills they want them to help children develop.

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

• The manager is an inspirational leader. She has embedded a well-designed curriculum that has clear intent about what they want children to learn by the end of pre-school. She supports her staff fully in implementing this to achieve these goals.
• The quality of education and teaching is exceptional. Children are confident and inquisitive learners. The impact of the curriculum is evident through the excellent progress children make as staff put children at the heart of all they do.
• Staff teach children the skills they need to be independent. Children in the baby room are encouraged to find their own shoes or slippers. Children in the toddler room and both pre-school rooms routinely clear away their own cups and plates after eating. Staff understand the importance of children being independent learners and this is built into their curriculum.
• The manager is passionate about developing children's communication skills from their starting points. Staff promote this by placing emphasis on reading stories and singing with the children wholeheartedly. Recently, staff have implemented a new initiative where children are encouraged to create and tell stories based on key principles. Children join in excitedly and keenly. Staff use sign language strategies when communicating with children, which helps to instil confidence in those children still developing their verbal communication.
• Staff know their key children extremely well. They provide children with individual settling-in procedures to get to know them carefully. Staff hold spotlight meetings with their key children's parents to share and gather information about their home interests. This helps inform staff about children's next steps in learning. Staff skilfully use the information they obtain to promote children's future development.
• Babies and toddlers' key next steps in learning are promoted using 'chatter bags'. These bags contain exciting resources and activity ideas. They are are used during small-group learning for young children. Staff engage in purposeful interactions with children so that they flourish.
• Recognition and support given to children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are comprehensive and staff are proactive in their approach. For example, staff have recently split the pre-school children into two groups to meet the needs of these children. The children have responded positively to the change, demonstrating its impact. The special educational needs coordinator is committed to his role and supports the manager and all staff with his expertise.
• Parent partnerships are well established through highly effective communication. Parents report that they are extremely happy with the service provided. They comment positively on the excellent progress their children have made since starting at the setting and the exceptional support they have received. This includes those children who speak English as an additional language, who have been able to develop their English language rapidly.
• The manager has a great overview of the quality of the setting. She gives staff the opportunity to reflect on their practice and supports their professional development. The manager is passionate about early years education and provision. She is working with a local member of parliament to review issues faced by the sector. She wants to continue this work with other settings in the local area to share her knowledge.