Snapdragons Nursery Redland

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), make exceptional progress in this beautiful and inspiring setting. Babies gladly reach out for their key person as their parents drop them off. Toddlers and pre-school children rush with eager anticipation to enter their rooms. They excitedly explore the activities staff have expertly provided for them. The curriculum is exceptionally and uniquely well-sequenced. This ensures all children succeed from the day they start. For example, babies learn to climb safely in and out of the paddling pool under the watchful eye of staff. Toddlers keep trying until they can independently make shapes with play dough using cutters. Staff sensitively encourage them to stay on task and praise their efforts. Pre-school children use their imagination to create stories of adventure. Staff skilfully write these stories helping children to then understand that stories have a beginning, middle and an end.

All children behave exceptionally well. They are deeply engaged in meaningful play throughout the day. They persevere with challenge and show a confident attitude. They develop excellent independence skills. For example, babies move and explore around their room, choosing what they would like to play with. Toddlers learn to independently wash their hands before and after meals. Pre-school children lay the table and serve their own nutritious food at mealtimes. Staff ensure children foster a deep sense of responsibility and respect for each other and their environment.

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

• Staff use the brilliantly created curriculum to plan activities that offer challenge to all children. They focus on each child and use professional observations to offer the exact support needed to help them succeed in acquiring new skills. For example, babies eagerly join in with songs and rhymes. They take delight in choosing an item from the song bag. Staff expertly support them with actions and model the words so the babies can easily copy.
• Children with SEND make exceptional progress. This is because staff use clear, timely and well-planned targets. They use innovative approaches to support each child's individual needs. They work collaboratively as a team and with outside agencies and parents to ensure SEND children have the right support. This also ensures they have extremely effective transitions to their next setting, such as school.
• Children develop a deep love of stories and books. Staff read stories in an inviting way. They draw children's attention to the detail in the pictures. Babies love lifting the flap when staff read them 'Dear Zoo'. Toddlers point to animals they know in safari books and pre-school children learn rich descriptive words as they share 'Little Red Riding Hood'. Children use the knowledge they acquire from these stories in their play, repeating words and story lines. Pre-school children develop projects from things they have learned. For example, they read about seeds and how they grow. Staff support them to then grow plants and flowers from seeds. Children avidly share what they know as they carefully paint pictures of flowers to consolidate their learning.
• Children develop excellent communication skills as staff model language extremely well. Staff repeat simple words to babies as they play and explore. Toddlers learn to build words into sentences as staff repeat what they say and expertly add descriptive words. Pre-school children develop a rich vocabulary to help them make sense of the world. They learn about deep sea diving, protecting the sea life and recycling. Staff are very ambitious for all children and support them to deeply learn and build on what they know. Some children know that you need air bottles for diving, so the member of staff encourages them to think about what else they need, she introduces words, such as 'facemask' and 'regulator'.
• Leadership and management is inspirational. They provide a strong ethos of collaboration and respect. They have extremely high expectations for all children and staff. To support staff, leaders and the manager work regularly with children to model their excellent practice. They nurture staff exceptionally well by providing support for their well-being and brilliant opportunities for them to develop their practice. This ensures staff have a strong sense of belonging and self-worth.
• Partnerships with parents is excellent. Staff share children's excellent care and routines with their parents daily. Staff ask parents to share and celebrate their children's achievements from home so they can build on these at the nursery. This ensures children make excellent progress.