Seymour Road Nursery Ltd

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The manager and staff create a warm, inviting, and interesting environment in which children grow and develop. They provide a range of activities that spark children's interests, such as making dough. Children tell staff about the ingredients required and how much water they may need. As a result, children are active participants in their learning. Children have positive attitudes to learning. Staff build positive relationships with parents. They gather a wealth of information about their children and use this to plan the activities. Staff know the children well, which means that children settle from the onset.

Staff support children to understand their own feelings and emotions. Children learn about mindfulness through activities, such as being a 'kindosaurus'. As a result, children learn to express their emotions. Staff teach children how to use various breathing techniques to help them when they feel unsettled. Children are more able to regulate their emotions. Staff use various voting systems to help children make choices. For example, children are encouraged to vote on which story to read before lunch. Consequently, children value and respect their friends' opinions.

Children have lots of opportunities to undertake tasks. Pre-school children relish the opportunities to clear away after lunch. Younger children help to sweep up sand with a dustpan and brush. Children have a real sense of pride when they complete their individual tasks. Children are encouraged to be independent from an early age. Babies help to tidy away resources. Older children put on their own coats and see to their personal care needs. This supports children's confidence in their own abilities.

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

• Children listen intently to favourite stories. They confidently tell staff about the various parts of the book, such as the blurb and illustrator. Children independently select books and curl up on a cushion to read. Children know that books can be read for pleasure and used to gather information. This has a positive impact on children's early literacy.
• The curriculum for children's physical development is strong. Children learn to climb up and over large equipment. They also learn to use a variety of tools with precision. For example, children use spoons to carefully transport sand. Babies concentrate intently as they attach wooden pegs to cardboard boxes. As a result, children develop the coordination and control needed to complete more-complex tasks.
• Staff provide an interesting and enjoyable lunchtime experience for children. They provide many opportunities for children to learn new skills. Pre-school children learn to serve their lunch and pour their water into porcelain cups. Babies smile in delight as the food oozes through their fingers as they learn to feed themselves. Children learn vital skills that support the next stage in their development.
• Staff provide an inclusive environment. Children's cultures and beliefs are acknowledged and celebrated. They explore the meaning behind cultural events, such as Ramadan and Eid. This helps children to understand that people have different beliefs. Furthermore, it supports their awareness of their own community and the wider world.
• Support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities is effective. Staff are attentive to the individual needs of all children. They act swiftly to any emerging concerns. For example, they use 'tongue activities' to help children to develop the muscles in their mouths that they need for forming sounds and words. This means that children make steady and sustained progress.
• The manager and staff place great importance on building effective partnerships. Parents say that they are aware of what their children are learning each day. Staff provide ideas for parents to do at home to extend their children's learning, such as going on a nature walk.
• The manager and staff have created a balanced curriculum. They use the children's interests to lead the activities. However, staff are not always clear on what they want children to learn during some activities. For example, when children make daffodils using a range of creative materials, staff are not clear on the purpose of the activity. On occasion, this interrupts staff's ability to consistently build on children's learning.
• Most staff are skilled communicators. They introduce a range of interesting words, such as 'knead' and 'pound', when making dough. This helps to extend children's vocabulary. However, occasionally, staff do not pronounce words correctly. For example, they talk about the 'pot, pot' instead of the potty and refer to the 'doggy'. This does not fully support children's speaking skills.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• strengthen staff's understanding of the curriculum so that they are clear on what they want children to learn
• support staff to model the correct pronunciation of words to further extend children's vocabulary.