Snowden Hill Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are very happy and settle extremely well at this warm and welcoming nursery. They show that they feel safe and secure and establish close bonds with their key person. Staff work closely with other professionals involved in children's care and development. This helps to ensure children with special educational needs and/or disabilities promptly receive the targeted support they need to support them to reach their full potential. Staff use additional funding effectively, such as early years pupil premium, to support children's needs. Children benefit from a wide range of exciting experiences. They enjoy activities that staff tailor to their current likes and interests. Older children listen to stories and learn about the life cycle of a butterfly. Younger children enjoy exploring different textures and learn new words such as 'soft', 'smooth' and 'squashy'. Communication and language development are a clear focus throughout the nursery. Children learn how to express their needs and wishes. For example, younger children learn to sign key words, and older children confidently talk about their personal interests and engage in purposeful conversation.

Children's behaviour is good. They learn about the nursery rules and what is expected of them. Children are kind and caring and establish close friendships where they help and support each other. Staff regularly praise children for sharing and taking turns, which helps to build children's self-esteem and confidence. Children receive effective support to develop independence skills in readiness for the next stage in their learning.

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

• Managers and staff provide a broad and balanced curriculum that follows children's interests and supports their development. A good range of activities build on what children know and can do. This helps them to develop the skills they need for their future learning. Children are motivated to learn and show high levels of concentration and perseverance to complete self-chosen activities. For example, older children enjoy practising to write the letters in their name.
• Staff place children's emotional well-being at the heart of their practice. They help children to grow in confidence and develop strong relationships with staff and other children. Staff take time to get to know the children well. For example, they gain detailed information about children's interests and specific needs on entering the nursery and effectively plan opportunities to help build on their current skills.
• Staff provide children with enjoyable opportunities to develop their physical skills. Children develop the small muscles in their hands as they use tools, build with small objects and explore with sensory materials. Children have regular access to outdoor play where they can practise their large muscle skills and coordination. For example, they enjoy running, climbing up and over objects, balancing along wooden planks and jumping to catch bubbles.
• The manager is aware of staff's strengths and aspects of their practice that can be developed further. However, recent monitoring of teaching has not been precise enough to identify where some staff need further support to develop their skills. At times, some staff do not ask children further questions and encourage them to attempt tasks for themselves to help extend and challenge learning.
• Parents comment they are very happy with the service the nursery provides. They feel their children are happy, safe and progressing well in their development. However, some parents feel they do not receive detailed information about what their children are learning at nursery and how they can support children's learning at home.
• Staff promote consistent care routines throughout the day. They teach children good hygiene practices. For example, children understand why it is important to wash hands frequently during the day.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• use information more precisely from monitoring staff's practice to build staff's skills to help extend children's learning further
• strengthen the partnerships with parents to ensure that all parents receive detailed information about their children's learning at the nursery, and ways to support learning at home.