Skylark Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are safe and happy at this nursery. They have a positive attitude to learning and are eager to join in. For example, babies delightedly make footprints in the sand. Staff encourage them to compare the size of their footprints with their own. They introduce and repeat interesting words, such as 'stomp'. Children learn how to develop healthy lifestyles, for example the importance of exercise and healthy food. Children are encouraged to serve themselves vegetables at lunchtime and pour their own water. Pre-school children take part in daily yoga sessions to help develop balance, coordination and promote calmness. Younger children take part in daily dance sessions. They affectionately refer to themselves as 'mini gyminis'.

Children behave well. Staff give children clear and consistent messages, that help them to understand what is expected of them. Children build good relationships with their key person and with the other staff. They receive lots of hugs from their key person, which help them to feel settled and secure. Although parents do not come into the setting, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, staff greet each child at the door. They share information with parents verbally and through an app. This helps to ensure that parents feel fully involved in their children's learning.

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

• Staff ignite children's curiosity and enthusiasm for learning. For example, babies hide behind a hand-held mirror and giggle as they play peekaboo with their key person. This supports positive communication and language skills. Older children practise their fine-motor skills as they use scissors to cut blades of grass. They have great fun as they compare different 'lengths'.
• Staff read books with good expression. They engage in conversations about visits to the dentist, their teeth and the tooth fairy. Children can take books home to share with their parents in book bags provided by the setting. They volunteer excidedly for their turn to take the 'Tooth Fairy' bag home.
• Many high-quality interactions take place between staff and children. Staff ask thoughtful questions to extend their learning. However, sometimes, staff do not always give children enough time to respond to questions. This means children do not always have time to develop their thinking skills and express their own ideas.
• Staff provide children who speak English as an additional language with excellent support. Staff and parents record greetings and familiar words as clips on the ipad. This has a positive impact on children's well-being.
• Children benefit from a wide range of activities that support all areas of the early years foundation stage. However, staff do not always understand the targets set for children. This is noted through the characteristics of effective teaching and learning, as explained in the 'Statutory framework for the early years foundation stage'. As a result, some children are not always given opportunities to embed their learning.
• Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities receive good support. The special educational needs coordinator plans and reviews children's personal goals to ensure that they are receiving the correct help.
• Parents speak very positively about the nursery and staff. They state that their children are happy and eager to attend. Parents feel well informed about their child's day and the progress they make in learning. They know how to support children's ongoing learning at home.
• Children develop skills in readiness for their move on to school. They listen and respond well to staff's instructions. For instance, when it is time to go outdoors, they help staff to tidy away toys and line up at the door. Children understand how to keep themselves safe, for example, they know to hold on to a special rope as they visit the nursery garden.
• Staff support children to develop their understanding of the wider world. For example, children relish the opportunity to grow fruit and vegetables in the nursery garden. They regularly attend an inspiring 'beach school' session. This broadens their experience of nature and wildlife very effectively.
• There is a very cohesive approach and a strong team ethos across the nursery. Staff are led by highly qualified, passionate and extremely dedicated leaders. They are continually striving to ensure that children have the best possible life experiences.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• give children more time to consider their responses to questions, to enable them to fully develop their communication skills
• build upon staff's understanding of the characteristics of effective learning to ensure children are able to embed their learning and develop high levels of focus.