Shine Bright Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children arrive excited for their day at nursery. Familiar staff greet children and lead them to their playrooms ready for their day. The provider welcomes families with enthusiasm, offering support where needed and making time for parents to talk and share any information about their children. Parents leave their children knowing they are safe, secure and well supported.

The provider and staff create and implement a broad, highly inclusive curriculum that meets the needs of all children in the nursery. Staff focus on ensuring that all children are safe and secure, alongside providing them with an environment that is rich with language. Staff consistently talk to young children, providing them with a narrative for their play and valuing their interactions. Older children are confident in exploring their environment. Staff are proactive at engaging children in meaningful learning. For example, children develop their small physical skills when they scoop spaghetti into different-sized containers. Staff weave mathematical concepts into play when they talk to children about long and short and the different colours of spaghetti.

Children learn about hygiene and self-care from an early age. Staff support the youngest children to wash their hands before meals to clean away the 'germs'. Older children independently use the toilet, wash their own hands and wipe their own noses. Staff create an activity with toothbrushes and models of teeth to promote discussions about oral hygiene. Children and staff talk about when and how to brush their teeth and why this is important.

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

• Staff say that they receive excellent support from the provider. The provider prioritises staff well-being to enable them to be happy and confident in their roles. They are mindful of workloads and ensure that staff have sufficient time and support to fulfil their roles successfully. Staff have opportunities for one-to-one discussions, alongside regular staff meetings. Staff work closely as a team to devise planning to ensure that children's needs are met. Most recently, staff have attended 'sign-a-long' training to help support children's communication and interactions from a young age.
• Staff create exciting opportunities for children to engage in learning. The youngest children develop their senses when they splash in the water tray and learn to wash the dolls. Staff excitedly engage older children in song time, giving them a choice of song, and support them to take part with the actions. However, staff do not always think how they can adapt activities to meet the needs of all children. For example, at times, staff introduce too many new ideas and do not give children enough time to think.
• Staff know all children and their families very well. They work closely together and swiftly seek external support from professionals, where needed, to ensure that children's needs are met. Staff are kind and nurturing. They use their knowledge of the children to ensure that their care needs are met and they have access to a range of learning opportunities. The provider uses any additional funding to best support children and families, including providing hot meals for children or specific resources that are tailored to children's interests and developmental level.
• Staff provide children with lots of opportunities to be physically active. The youngest children develop their core strength, ready for walking, while they stand at low-level tables to play. Toddlers develop their small hand muscles when they are supported to cut their own fruit and use jugs to pour their drinks. In the garden, children develop hand-eye coordination as they throw and kick balls to one another. Staff support all children to develop their physical confidence in a variety of ways.
• Staff have high expectations for children's behaviour. Children are respectful of their friends and enjoy playing with them. If children have a disagreement, staff support them to think of others' feelings and help them to resolve conflict positively. However, staff do not consistently teach children the importance of keeping their play space tidy. Children struggle to engage with resources purposefully as they are scattered across the floor. Additionally, staff do not help to create a quiet environment during group activities, and those children who are trying to concentrate are distracted and unable to engage successfully.
• Parents are very positive about the provider. They say that the 'family centred' provider and staff are extremely supportive, kind and caring, and their children love to attend.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• adapt adult-led activities to meet the needs of all children, to enable children time to think and engage successfully with learning
• support staff to help children to engage with resources purposefully and adapt the environment to enable children to fully concentrate.