Small World Nurseries Ltd

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are curious, motivated learners. They eagerly access all areas of the environment and enjoy play with their peers and the staff. They show high levels of confidence and make assured choices about how their individual days will go. Children relish the regular outdoor play and the vast amount of resources on offer for them to access. Children behave well. They demonstrate warm, genuine bonds with their friends and the staff team. Staff have high expectations for every child and this reflects in their continuing progress and development.

Babies gaze in awe and wonder during 'Baby Moves' classes. They lie under large foil blankets as staff float them up and down and make crinkling noises. They giggle and are transfixed by this new texture to explore. Toddlers make foam cupcakes for their friends and laugh as they manipulate the material with their fingers. Happy sounds fill the air. Pre-school children brim with pride and self-assurance as they perform their upcoming graduation songs for the inspector. Their singing fills the room and they talk about how excited they are to show their parents how hard they have been working. They show real pride in their achievements.

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

• The management team have developed a well-thought-out curriculum, which has a positive impact on children's learning and development. They consider children's individual needs and interests and this helps to ensure children are engaged and excited by activities on offer. The management team and staff are aware of the impact the COVID-19 pandemic has had on some children's learning. They use this knowledge to focus on communication and language development and personal, social and emotional skills. This benefits children and any gaps in development swiftly begin to close, particularly for babies and toddlers.
• Pre-school children are well prepared for their upcoming move to primary school. They recognise letter sounds with ease and identify the initial sounds in their own names and those of their peers. Staff work hard to promote children's confidence and ability to make choices. They encourage children to voice their opinions and listen to others. These skills are invaluable when considering the next stages in their learning journeys.
• The management team are evaluative. They consider the strengths and areas for development for all staff and the provision in general. This helps them to identify things which can be improved upon. The provision consistently evolves and this means children experience a high quality of education and care. However, communication between staff and the management team would benefit from improvement. At times, staff have to wait for help in their rooms because the message is not directly relayed to management. This delays response times and leaves staff temporarily overwhelmed, despite enough staff being readily available.
• Parents value this setting. They commend the staff and the management team for the improvements they have implemented since the previous inspection. Parents boast that they feel 'overwhelmed' by the 'amazing progress' their children have made, especially within communication and language. They mention that their 'once shy' children are now confident 'social butterflies'. They feel the staff have had significant impact on their children's development and happiness.
• For the most part, staff are well organised and provide purposeful routines and activities for children to enjoy. However, transition times do not always run smoothly. When children are expected to move from outdoor to indoor play, or from play to begin mealtimes, some children become upset. Staff do not always give clear enough instructions or time to adjust when expecting children to stop what they are currently enjoying. This means children can become cross and hesitant when they need to line up or move around the building.
• The key-worker system is highly effective. Staff are invested in their key children. They feel emotional and full of pride when children begin to meet personal goals. For example, some children begin to join in dance movements when singing songs for the first time. Others approach the inspector to offer feedback and introduce themselves, despite having previously struggled with shyness. Staff celebrate these moments and children beam with happiness when their successes are recognised.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• consider ways to organise transitions within nursery more effectively, in order to help children feel more prepared and assured during these periods
• consider how to streamline staff communication with the management team, so messages are quickly received and actioned, for instance, when more staff are needed in a room to meet children's needs.