Smart Tots Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are well looked after and feel safe and secure in nursery. They form close bonds with the staff who care for them. Children arrive happy and eager to get involved in the range of exciting activities that staff plan for them. They separate from their parents with ease. They are confident and demonstrate a sense of belonging. Babies snuggle with staff as they look at books. Toddlers enjoy singing and clap rhythms, copying staff and making music with their friends. Older children work together to make magical potions. They take turns to gather water to add to their mixtures and kindly offer some to their friends.

Children benefit from plenty of time outdoors in the fresh air and develop good physical skills in relation to their age. They ride around on tricycles as they act out going on superhero missions. They become immersed in their imaginary play as they pretend that the balls are pet cats that they must rescue together. They develop their skills in problem-solving and teamwork. Children laugh and smile as they crawl through tunnels and practise taking turns to roll a ball to one another. They are polite and think of others as they ask each other how they are feeling and talk about their emotions.

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

• Staff encourage children to develop a love for reading. They share books with children and discuss the pictures. Children sit and listen to stories in groups. They concentrate and focus as they independently sit and relax while looking through books.
• Staff promote children's independence throughout the day. For instance, babies learn to recognise their own water bottles. Toddlers put on their own shoes. Pre-school-aged children practise the tricky task of doing up their zips on their own coats. They feel great pride when they manage to achieve this.
• Staff support babies to develop their speech and say new words. For example, babies point to photographs of vehicles. They attempt to name them as staff repeat their words and extend their vocabulary. Staff talk about the types of vehicles and talk to children about the different tracks and roads they go on. They allow babies to hear a rich and varied vocabulary in order to enhance their communication skills.
• The manager has created a curriculum based on the key skills and knowledge children need for each stage of their development. Staff find out about children's interests in order to plan enjoyable experiences. However, staff occasionally try to engage children in activities that do not match their stage of development. For example, when toddlers are encouraged to sit for a group time with the pre-school children, they quickly lose their concentration and interest.
• Staff are nurturing and supportive in helping children settle in to the nursery and make smooth transitions. They demonstrate this as they share information with parents daily to keep them updated on their child's experiences and the progress they are making.
• Leaders work in partnership with external agencies to best support the needs of children. They recognise when children have emerging needs and might need additional support. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and children who speak English as an additional language are supported to achieve the best possible outcomes.
• Staff teach children about healthy food, and they sit with children as they eat their lunch. Children enjoy discussing the healthy choices they make and naming the different types of vegetables that are good for them.
• Staff are skilled at communicating effectively with children. They hold conversations and join in with their play. However, at times, such as during self-chosen play, staff focus on supporting one or two children at a time and do not always ensure that all children are involved and engaged in meaningful learning.
• The manager evaluates and works hard to find ways to make improvements to all aspects of the setting. She considers ways to reduce the time that staff spend doing paperwork in order that they can spend more time with the children. She identifies areas that can be improved and takes great care to ensure she is enhancing the quality of education and care that children receive.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• encourage staff to review the organisation of activities so that they are appropriate to the age and stage of development of the children participating
• support staff to encourage all children to get involved and engaged in meaningful learning, especially during times when they have free choice of activities.