Sidcop Road Community Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children arrive at the setting excited and ready to learn. They benefit from a highly stimulating environment. Children spend a lot of time in the outdoor area and in the local community, where they confidently explore the world around them. They are curious and move freely between activities, indoors and outdoors. Children select things that interest them and join in activities with their peers and staff. They are confident and motivated in their learning as they explore. All children flourish. Babies make rapid progress in their physical development as they explore the outdoor area. Staff sensitively support them and praise their efforts.

Staff plan a wide range of themed activities which spark children's curiosity and interests. They use meaningful interactions to stimulate children's learning and build on what they already know. For example, children enjoy investigating autumn and what the season represents. They explore the numbers zero to 10 and link the written numbers to the number of pumpkins on cards. Children use conkers to check that their number predictions are correct by counting them. Staff expertly adapt activities to suit each child's stage of learning and capability.

Children have secure bonds with their key person and spend quality time with them. Children and families have close relationships with staff. This helps children to be safe and fully supported in their emotional well-being. Children's behaviour is excellent. Staff role model manners to the younger children, such as by saying 'please' and 'thank you'. Children are highly respectful and kind towards each other. Older children play well alongside one another. They listen to each other's ideas and take turns.

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

• The provider and manager have very high ambitions for all children. They have a clear intent and implementation of a high-quality, well-planned and carefully thought-out curriculum. This has a great impact on children and their learning and development. The provider and manager use their curriculum to excite, motivate and prepare children in their learning. They share this ambition with staff, who demonstrate that they are highly skilled and passionate about their role. Staff use a variety of teaching methods to support children to be highly engaged in activities, learn and make rapid progress.
• Staff plan and implement extremely interesting, fun and stimulating activities for children to enjoy taking part in. Children demonstrate a wealth of learning. For example, they explore items on the autumn tray and discuss if they are 'prickly' or 'spiky'. Children delight in carving pumpkins and excitedly explore the 'slimy' texture of the pumpkin. They independently make play dough and add the pumpkin seeds to change the texture.
• Staff prioritise children's speech and language development. They are highly skilled and effective at supporting children to acquire language. Staff go above and beyond in supporting children to be confident communicators. The children, including babies, have access to a language-rich environment.
• Staff use every opportunity to demonstrate language and extend children's vocabulary. For example, babies join in with songs and rhymes. Toddlers hear the correct pronunciation of words and repeat them back to staff. Older children excitedly recall a story about owl babies. Staff identify children's individual communication and language needs to provide additional support and activities, developing their communication and language even further.
• Children are supported to be independent and persevere in tasks. The youngest children are supported to learn to feed themselves with cutlery. Staff are responsive to children's needs and intervene when needed, such as when babies make a noise because they cannot reach their water bottle. Older children are independent in setting the table for lunch with plates and cutlery. They serve their own lunches, use cutlery to eat and scrape their plates when they are finished.
• Parents are included in every aspect of the setting. They comment on the excellent communication which they receive about their child's learning. Parents have daily updates which help them to understand their child's development and how to support their learning at home. The provider organises a range of additional support for parents and families, including a library service and home learning bags.
• Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are extremely well supported. Staff have an excellent knowledge of child development. They use this, and their knowledge of the children, to identify the correct support. Staff work hard to involve other relevant professionals. As a result, all children make the best possible progress.