Shenley Fields Nursery School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children's enthusiasm and engagement are awe-inspiring. They are happy, safe and secure. Staff create a highly stimulating and vibrant environment, where children thrive. Children benefit from nurturing, supportive and respectful relationships with the staff. With support from their key person, all children are incredibly engaged. Children investigate shaving foam with the staff. They feel it between their fingers, rolling tractors to look at the track, and clap the shaving foam together in their hands.

Children explore different materials and tools throughout the day. Children use their senses to smell limes, lemons and herbs that they find in the garden. Younger children gain coordination when they clap and stomp to music. They shake musical instruments and bang them together. Younger children learn to crawl, walk and balance upstairs, through tunnels and slide down ramps. Older children climb tractor tyres, balance on bridges and use tools to find insects in the garden.

Children begin to babble, make noises and use single words. They point and gesture to their key person to show their needs and wants. Children begin to use two-word phrases and play peekaboo with the staff. They listen to songs and name the animals. Older children make potions, discussing textures, smells and colours.

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

• Leadership is exemplary. Leaders have consistently high expectations for all. The leadership team provide exceptional support and training to each member of staff. Staff receive frequent and relevant training, which aids each individual's practice. Leaders and staff all use exceptional communication, which creates a highly reflective setting. Staff thrive in understanding early childhood learning. This results in outstanding quality of education for all children.
• Children prosper in all areas of learning. Staff provide a thought-provoking and enriching environment. This gives children a wealth of opportunities to learn about an array of topics. They play together, pretending to be superheroes, and talk about helping others. Children's enthusiasm is infectious. They are highly engaged and have a real desire to learn. Children encourage each other to take part and be part of a team.
• Staff use a rich array of vocabulary. They understand how to differentiate each child's progression. Staff introduce single words for those beginning to speak. Younger children begin to choose animal names in music time with help from the staff. Older children thrive in their communication and language. They bake bread and make pizzas, discussing healthy eating. They pick the vegetables they have previously grown and use them in their cooking. Children talk about lifecycles of plants, witnessing a variety of herbs, fruit and vegetables grow.
• Children learn to share, take turns and play alongside other children from a very early age. They respect one another and are kind. Staff provide a respectful environment, teaching children how to express their own rights. Older children talk about their rights to their own safety and play, and discuss this with their peers. Staff support younger children incredibly well in their routine and transitions. Staff use sign language and picture aids to establish an understanding of routine. Staff ensure that children have extended settling-in times. This results in all transitions creating consistency for each individual child.
• Children have vast opportunities to gain physical skills. They begin to clap their hands together in music time. Children use musical instruments to shake and bang their hands to the music. They explore different textures, sounds, smells and colours. Child use their hands to grasp new tools when investigating, such as magnifying glasses and rollers. They turn pages in their books, when talking and re-enacting a story.
• Parent partnerships are exceptional. Staff invite parents to be continually a part of their children's learning. They communicate effectively to establish progression and consistency at home. Parents take part in workshops to learn key early education skills, such as early reading and writing. Parents comment on the exceptional progress their children are making. They feel their children are happy, settled and supported.