Serpentine Nursery School Ltd

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

All children thrive at this very inclusive nursery. Staff's learning intentions for children are very personalised. Children have a very positive attitude to their learning and their behaviour is exemplary. They develop the necessary skills required for their future learning. Children arrive excitedly with their parents to the nursery and quickly settle into their chosen play. All children are keen explorers and excited to have a go. Babies establish very strong relationships with staff and sit with them as they play. They show high levels of concentration, and focus as they carefully place rings on top of one another. Babies clap and beam with delight as staff enthusiastically celebrate their achievements. Toddlers expertly use paint brushes during art and craft activities. They show sustained levels of interest as they make marks on paper.

Staff ignite discussions with pre-school children to support their understanding and speaking skills. Children hold complex conversations with one another during imaginative play. Their range of vocabulary is vast. Children say, 'You be the pilot but don't go to sleep, I'll be the co-pilot.' Among themselves, they decide they want to fly to 'girl land'.

Children explore the stimulating environment without fear. Staff teach them to take small, age-appropriate risks to help them learn to keep themselves safe. Toddlers readily climb up and slide down the play equipment, demonstrating excellent balance and control. Pre-school children tell visitors how they enjoy swimming with their friends on nursery outings and 'feel safe' in the water. In the outdoor play area, pre-school children initiate running and hide and seek games between themselves. They confidently and safely navigate the space, manoeuvring themselves over various large obstacles with great agility.

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

• Leaders and managers have sustained an excellent approach to ensuring all children achieve and reach their full potential. The manager has an extremely clear overview of how the curriculum is implemented in practice. Staff have a very secure understanding of how to support children's learning and development and how to keep them safe. As a result, all children are offered a well-structured curriculum that inspires them to be curious, independent and imaginative.
• All staff, leaders and managers are ambitious and highly motivated in their work. They all effectively work as a team and have high expectations for all children. The manager has a clear understanding of the skills of her staff team. She works very closely with them to continually improve their excellent practice and support their professional development. For example, staff who work with children under two years of age, have completed relevant training to help them gain a greater understanding of how very young children learn.
• Partnerships with parents are very strong. For example, children's specific personal dietary requirements are adhered to extremely well. Staff provide parents with thorough and detailed information about the ingredients used in the meals provided for their children. Parents comment about how this reassures them that their children's dietary needs are fully respected and keeps them safe. They also comment that the nursery goes 'above and beyond' their expectations.
• Key persons know their children extremely well. They carefully plan settling-in sessions that are unique to each child. Staff use this time to gather detailed information from parents about their child and observe the child in their play. They are very knowledgeable and focused on what they need to plan for children's learning, giving children opportunities they may not have elsewhere. Staff quickly assess and build on links with other professionals to secure additional funding and support health assessments. This ensures that children who need extra support make very good progress.
• Staff skilfully use their excellent interaction, engagement and effective questioning to support children's learning. For example, staff recognise the interest that pre-school children have in volcanoes. Staff enthusiastically encourage children to experiment, explain their ideas, and work out how to make 'lava'. Children use pipettes, spoons and bottles to mix ingredients together. They squeal with delight as the 'lava' comes to the surface from within the model volcano. Children confidently describe what ingredients they use, such as 'vinegar' and 'bicarbonate of soda'.
• Staff plan interesting and inspiring challenges and experiences for children to increase their large-muscle skills. For example, pre-school children competently walk along and jump off low-level balancing beams. Staff extend the activity and add additional beams at higher levels to challenge the children. Children show immense levels of perseverance to succeed as they balance and eventually jump off the highest placed beams independently.
• All children show fantastic levels of behaviour. Pre-school children confidently use egg timers between themselves to share turns during imaginative play. They respect the toys and equipment they use, such as by independently clearing away their plates and cups after snack time. Toddlers eagerly help staff to clear away toys and activities. They enthusiastically remove paper covers from tables and know to place them in the bin.