Smartypants Exclusive Childcare Ltd

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

This nursery provides a distinctive learning environment, where staff recognise every child is unique. Staff know children exceptionally well. They design a curriculum that is ambitious, flexible and responsive to children's changing needs. Staff are highly reflective, continually learning from children and adapting plans to build on their ideas and experiences. This personalised approach ensures that all children make excellent progress from their starting points in development. The intent and implementation of the curriculum are consistently embedded across the nursery. Staff prioritise children's communication, language and literacy development. Children who have gaps in their development receive highly effective support to help them to catch up rapidly.

Support for children's personal development is a particular strength in the nursery. Staff support children to recognise and manage their emotions and to reflect on how their behaviour affects others. For instance, children politely request resources and share them without prompting. They show kindness and respect, alongside consistently positive attitudes to learning. This is evident in children's sustained concentration and enjoyment. Well-qualified staff skilfully plan from children's interests to inspire their independence and resilience. Children confidently make choices, use their imaginations and persist with tasks until they succeed. Staff intervene sensitively, offering guidance only when needed. As a result, children flourish as confident and capable learners. They are exceptionally well prepared for the next stage in their learning.

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

• The nursery places children's well-being at the heart of its planning. Staff weave themes, such as feelings, family life, celebrations and achievements, through daily practice. They skilfully use birthdays, reward ceremonies and routines around behaviour and turn taking to build children's self-esteem and social skills. Staff ensure that their planning includes all children. Staff remain reflective and adapt learning from children's own ideas and experiences. Subsequently, all children feel valued and develop resilience. They thrive as confident and respectful learners.
• The nursery provides a language-rich environment that strongly promotes children's communication skills. Staff skilfully ask effective questions and allow children time to think and reply. Through stories, songs and rhymes, they extend children's vocabulary and introduce new language. Staff encourage children to share personal experiences, such as recent trips to farms or zoos, to spark meaningful conversations. Children who speak English as an additional language receive highly effective support. Staff celebrate children's home languages, using familiar words and visual prompts. As a result, all children develop confidence as articulate and expressive communicators.
• Children who have recently turned three years old demonstrate impressive social skills and independence. During snack time, they look to their peers for support, such as asking their friends to help open a butter lid. They make sure that other children have a cracker and pass items around without needing adult intervention. These skills are firmly embedded through the curriculum. Staff place a strong focus on cooperation, turn taking and helping others. As a result, children show kindness, responsibility and the ability to work together confidently.
• The nursery has exceptionally strong links with local schools, which significantly ease children's transitions. Reception class teachers visit to share guidance on what children need to know before starting school. Where no direct links exist, staff research the school and teachers, providing children with photos to prompt discussion. Therefore, children move on to school with confidence and familiarity.
• Leadership is highly effective. The committed management team is ambitious and driven by a clear vision for excellence. It guides the nursery with purpose, underpinned by shared values that raise children's outcomes. Staff speak positively about the strong support they receive for their well-being. Leaders use regular team meetings and supervision sessions to ensure that there is effective communication and that staff grow professionally. Staff express that they love working at the nursery and feel exceptionally well supported by leaders. Consequently, children thrive in a nurturing environment, where staff are motivated to give their very best.
• Partnerships with parents and carers are exceptionally strong. For families who speak English as an additional language, staff translate information so that parents clearly understand their child's progress. Parents speak very positively about their children's experiences, commenting that staff always have time for them. They are extremely well informed about their child's learning and receive practical and achievable ideas to continue this at home. Parents feel confident and well supported. All children benefit from a consistent approach between home and the nursery.