Small World Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children arrive happy and eager to learn. Staff provide older children with a range of opportunities to explore mathematical concepts, such as counting blocks as they build towers. Staff suitably challenge children's thinking when their tower falls down as they encourage them to work out how to fix it again. Children sit and listen to their favourite stories. They excitedly repeat familiar words and sentences from the story as they go on a 'bear hunt'. Staff show a soothing and caring approach towards children when they wake from their nap. They offer a reassuring cuddle, which enables children to return to their room ready to learn.

Children independently make choices as they construct their own vehicles out of recycled boxes. Staff respond with warm, positive encouragement when children successfully name their vehicle of choice from the pictures on offer. Children enjoy being active and take part in weekly dance classes. Staff support children's understanding of how exercise keeps them healthy and why it is important to eat healthy food to replenish their energy. This helps children to gain an early understanding of how their body functions. Children learn about being part of the wider community. They recall visiting a local care home to take the residents cakes that they made for them. This helps children to learn about people and communities different to their own.

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

• Since the last inspection, the manager and staff have received training to support the understanding of their curriculum. Staff provide tailored activities that help close gaps in children's learning and development. Staff carry out regular assessments of their key children to identify where they are making progress to help move their development on.
• Staff plan a range of activities within the environment which support children to build on their learning. However, there are times when some activities are not as well prepared as others to ensure that children can gain the most out of the experiences available to them.
• Children generally behave well. They are polite to staff and their peers. Staff remind children not to run in the room or corridor. However, staff swiftly move on without checking that children fully understand why they cannot run inside. This means, at times, children are unable to gain a better understanding of the consequences of their actions.
• Parent partnerships are good. Staff share information with parents to keep them informed of their child's development. Parents speak highly of the support they receive for their child's care. They share their gratitude for how staff support children to make good progress from when they start at the nursery.
• The special educational needs coordinator (SENDCo) has put appropriate care plans in place for children with additional needs. Staff work closely together with other professionals and schools to ensure that children receive the highest levels of care and education.
• Staff provide children with a language-rich environment. Activities aim to enable children to learn a range of new words to build on their vocabulary. For example, when babies explore spaghetti in a tray, staff introduce words such as 'wet' and 'sticky'. This help children to connect associate key words with the textures they feel.
• Staff plan visits to places within their local community. Children visit the Gurdwara temple during the festival of Diwali to help them develop a deeper understanding of how the festival is celebrated. Children learn about the different cultural events their peers celebrate. This supports them to gain an early understanding about equality and diversity.
• Children have opportunities to be independent from a young age. For example, staff encourage children to put their coats on to go out into the garden and pour their drinks at snack time. Children practise good handwashing routines. Staff ask them why it is important to wash their hands. Children demonstrate their understanding by telling staff it is to wash the germs away and not make them poorly.
• Staff recognise the importance of preparing children for transitions and going to school. They understand children can have different emotions and provide them with opportunities to share their feelings and strategies of how to overcome these when they feel unsure.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support staff's understanding of how to effectively plan activities to ensure that the resources available enhance children's learning and development even further
• build on the consistency of how expectations of behaviour are managed to ensure that children fully understand the consequences of their actions.