Seesaws Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The nursery provides a welcoming environment with a strong family feel. Staff greet children and parents warmly on arrival, taking time to ask how they are and listening carefully to any information parents share. They build positive, supportive relationships that help children feel secure and valued. As a result, children separate from their parents with confidence and are eager to begin their day. On arrival, children join their friends for a relaxed, social breakfast before moving into their individual rooms. This well-established routine supports children's personal, social and emotional development, fostering a sense of belonging and readiness for learning.

The nursery has developed an ambitious, well-sequenced curriculum closely aligned with children's interests. Staff plan a wide range of activities that build on recent learning and skilfully use incidental opportunities to extend this further. For example, following a nature walk, staff supported children to create natural paint using water and the blackberries they had collected. This approach promotes critical thinking, creativity and curiosity, thereby supporting children to make strong progress across all areas of their learning and development.

Staff promote positive behaviour through clear, consistent expectations, such as reminding children that running is only for outdoor areas. Staff model calm behaviour, kindness and good manners in their daily interactions. As a result, children learn to behave well and treat others with respect.

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

• Staff actively support children's communication and language development through consistent, purposeful modelling. For example, during a collage activity, staff repeat key words such as 'sticky' and encourage children to use them in context. Sensory play also enriches language, as staff model descriptive words such as 'crunch' and 'spiky' when children explore textures of crinkly paper and pine cones. Staff use visual aids and reference objects to help children who need extra support. As a result, children develop broad vocabularies and become increasingly confident communicators.
• The nursery is well resourced and encourages children to make choices, with some showing independence, for example, by selecting books or deciding what to draw. However, staff often direct play too much, which limits children's ownership of their learning. Additionally, large group sizes reduce opportunities for active participation, and staff do not always adapt their approach to meet the varied needs of all children. Therefore, some children lose interest. This reduces their engagement and limits the progress they make in learning.
• A key strength of the nursery is the early identification and support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Staff quickly notice any concerns and work closely with parents and professionals to provide timely support. Additional funding is used well to provide extra resources, such as increased adult input, to meet children's individual needs. As a result, children with SEND make good progress from their starting points.
• Staff lead daily circle times using tools such as feelings monsters to help children explore and label their emotions. They support children in identifying why they feel a certain way and guide them in managing emotions appropriately. For example, when children are upset, staff help them name their feelings and provide calm reassurance. This builds self-awareness, emotional regulation and supports children's overall well-being.
• The nursery has strong community links that enrich children's experiences and deepen their understanding of the world. For instance, visits to a nearby retirement village help children feel part of their wider community. Staff work with parents to learn about family customs and important celebrations. Diversity is celebrated through cultural events, photos and greetings in children's home languages, promoting a sense of belonging. Children learn responsibility and respect for nature by caring for living things and growing fruit, vegetables and flowers in the garden allotment. This supports their wider personal development effectively.
• Leaders are ambitious and thoughtful, with a clear vision for improving outcomes for every child. They understand the setting's strengths and priorities and have clear plans in place. Parents speak highly of the care, teaching and support their children receive. Staff benefit from a collaborative, supportive team and access training tailored to both individual and whole-setting needs.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• improve the planning and organisation of group activities to better meet children's individual learning needs by providing appropriate levels of challenge, ensuring all children make the best possible progress
• increase opportunities for children to make independent choices and lead their own learning to further support their independence, confidence and decision-making skills.