SNOOP

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The leader, manager and staff provide a very special nursery that embraces everyone who enters. They place children and families at the centre of all they do. Staff are caring, dedicated and passionate in their work. They go above and beyond to support all families, especially those who are vulnerable. Staff provide a calm, welcoming and highly inclusive nursery where children's uniqueness is cherished. Children are happy and thrive in the nurturing care that staff provide.

Children enter nursery enthusiastically and they are eager to explore. They show how safe they feel and talk confidently to the inspector about what they are doing. Staff have high expectations of children's learning overall. They read 'The Colour Monster' story and use specially made play people to bring the story to life. Children learn to use different strategies to help them regulate their own emotions. Staff help them to identify and name a range of emotions they experience. Children's behaviour is good.

Staff encourage children to be independent. Children are motivated to do things for themselves. They pour their milk from the jug and concentrate well as they peel their own oranges. Children manage their self-help skills. They put their own coat on and zip it up. Staff provide just enough support to help children succeed.

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

• The leader, manager and staff provide exemplary support to children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Staff work very closely with a wide range of professionals. They are swift to intervene where children's progress is less than expected. Staff use carefully constructed support plans to help children to make progress. External professionals praise staff for their 'dedicated approach'. The leader shares her knowledge to inform the teaching of children with SEND in other settings locally and nationally.
• Staff teach mathematics effectively. They use children's imaginative play to help them understand positional language, such as 'on top of' and 'under'. Staff teach children songs to promote their understanding of early subtraction. Children confidently act out being speckled frogs. They identify how many are left as they pretend to jump into the pond. Children delight in counting and are learning to order play resources according to their size.
• Children are motivated and enjoy exploring the world around them. They concentrate well as they drop objects into the water tray and delight in watching stones sink to the bottom. Children who are most able know about the solar system and the small moon. They also know about an extensive range of animals, including hyenas and gorillas. However, staff do not consistently build on children's existing knowledge to extend their learning to its highest level.
• Parents and carers speak extremely highly of the nursery. They are very pleased with the progress their children make and the support they receive. Parents are kept informed about their children's learning. They feel that staff are interested in them as a whole family. Parents state that 'the things staff do are fantastic' and the experience that they and their children receive has been 'life-changing'.
• Staff focus strongly on supporting children's language skills. They introduce new words such as 'iridescent' and 'stomping' to help develop children's vocabulary. Staff sings songs throughout the day and encourage children to join in. This helps them to understand the pattern and flow of language. Children develop good communication and language skills.
• Children enjoy borrowing books from the lending library at nursery. Staff help parents to understand the importance of reading stories to their children. They also provide guidance to help parents support their children's literacy skills at home. Staff involve children in the rhyme challenge at the local library. Children develop a good knowledge of songs and rhymes. This further supports their listening, memory and early literacy skills.
• Staff promote children's health very well. They share information with parents about how to make healthy lunch boxes. Staff provide children with water, milk and healthy foods at snack times. Children spend plenty of time outdoors. They challenge their physical skills as they climb and balance on the climbing frame. Children learn to care for their teeth and develop healthy lifestyles.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• strengthen teaching to ensure that all staff consistently build on the most-able children's existing knowledge to further extend their learning, particularly in understanding the world.