Sharrow School Childcare Services

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The manager and the staff in this inspiring nursery provide high levels of care and education for the community it serves. Children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), make excellent progress from their individual starting points and are fully prepared for their transition to the next stage of their learning at three years old. Staff have very high expectations for all aspects of children's development. They build strong bonds with all children, including the high proportion who speak English as an additional language, and with their families. Children show they are very happy, independent and confident. For instance, one- and two-year-old children proudly work together to arrange their chairs into a circle, sit for increasing periods, listen carefully and join in enthusiastically with well-told songs and stories.

Children and babies demonstrate they feel safe and secure. Staff are very positive role models and children learn to share, take turns and be kind to each other as they go through the day. Babies and children who have difficulty managing their own feelings and emotions are very well supported to play with others and behave well. For instance, children politely show each other to their seat and take turns to drive the train that they have imaginatively created from crates and other large objects.

Parents are very appreciative of staff's commitment to their children's learning and well-being and, particularly, welcome the guidance they receive through the regular parent workshops.

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

• The manager is highly ambitious to ensure that every child makes the very best possible progress during their time in the nursery. She works very closely with her deputy to skilfully evaluate the effectiveness of the nursery to make sure that it constantly improves. They make very good use of training and research to provide very carefully planned, enriching and supportive experiences to promote children's understanding of the world, for instance, and their communication skills.
• Staff develop children's speaking and listening skills extremely well. They skilfully plan to introduce them to a rich vocabulary built on their own interests and widening knowledge of the world. For instance, children learn to describe the food in their home corner and at snack times as 'crunchy', 'delicious', 'sweet' or even 'disgusting'. Staff sing songs, recite rhymes and play games that introduce babies and children to appropriate words and phrases, such as 'scooping' and 'pouring' in the water play. They use pictures, sign language and puppets to very good effect to secure children's listening skills and careful attention.
• Staff provide highly effective support to children with SEND and those who may be vulnerable and need further support. They identify gaps in children's learning and development at an early stage and act promptly to address them. Staff plan very precisely to help them achieve key steps. They work very closely with other professionals, such as speech and language therapists and education psychologists, to ensure that children achieve their potential. Staff make good use of any additional funding to provide one-to-one support and further training, for example.
• Staff strongly encourage a love of books and stories. Staff identify a range of songs, rhymes and books that will motivate and engage babies and children as they progress through the nursery. They make very good use of large books to guide children to lift flaps and build their anticipation when they listen to the story of 'Dear Zoo', for instance. Parents have many opportunities to share their children's reading and to learn about the value of books through parent workshops.
• Staff work closely with all families, particularly those who speak English as an additional language to support children's language and cultural awareness. They involve parents in sharing key words, traditions and festivals throughout children's activities and daily life, such as at snack times and in creative activities.
• Children's positive behaviour and attitudes are extremely well promoted. Staff are extremely mindful of the babies' and children's immediate personal and emotional needs, and staff use smiles, praise and cuddles to reassure them and to build relationships. Staff are consistently positive, and they encourage children to say 'please' and 'thank you' as they play and learn.
• Children's health and well-being and physical skills are developed well. Children love to dance and join in lively action songs, such as 'Row, Row, Row your Boat' and 'Wind the Bobbin Up'. They create swirling patterns in water and sand. These activities are planned to help children develop the control they need for their later writing skills.
• Parents very strongly recommend the nursery. They appreciate the warm and sensitive nature of all staff and the strong contribution they make to children's cultural and personal development.