Snowy's Nursery And Pre-School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children develop friendships with each other and form strong bonds with staff. They confidently approach staff for a reassuring cuddle. Those who are new to the setting are sensitively supported to separate from parents and given time to settle. Children know and follow the routines of the day. They select their name card on arrival, settle on the carpet for group time and keenly line up to go outside to play. Children show real independence as they put on their coats and have a go at doing up the zip. They relish taking on extra responsibility to lay the table when it is their turn to be the nursery helper. Children are encouraged to explore their own feelings and take care of each other and their environment. They are praised by staff, which builds their self-esteem. Overall, behaviour is very good.

Staff plan and deliver a rich and varied curriculum to meet children's needs. Activities are attractively presented to capture and sustain children's interest. Younger children explore the texture of soil as they use tools to dig real vegetables. They practise physical skills as they negotiate low-level beams. Older children use a compass to explore the direction of north. They count, calculate and measure in the role-play building site and operate tills as they 'sell' real flowers in the role-play florist. Children design their own unique creations, such as a snake hotel, using play dough and other materials. Others learn how to follow instructions as they use programmable toys.

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

• Since the last inspection, management arrangements have been strengthened. The management team and staff, with local authority support, have made significant improvements to the planning and delivery of the curriculum in order to enhance children's learning experiences. Staff receive effective supervision and feedback to continually improve. They have regular opportunities for professional development. There is focus on staff well-being, and morale is high. The management team reviews and evaluates what is on offer. There are clear plans for even further improvement.
• Staff get down to the children's level. They build children's communication and language skills through effective questioning and meaningful discussions. Staff use repetitive themes to help children consolidate their learning. For example, children explore the weather and talk about the days of the week before singing their daily song. Younger children make their own nursery rhyme choices. They pick a wooden spoon with the corresponding character and join in with refrains from their chosen song. Staff provide commentary, repeating words that children use, to support their correct pronunciation.
• Children develop a love of literacy. Older children use factual books to research information about the different continents wild animals derive from. Children select headphones and freely create their own pictures as they listen to stories. Staff read books to all children with animation, capturing children's attention as they wait to find out what happens next.
• Staff use observation and assessment effectively. Where further or external support is needed, the nursery's special educational needs coordinator (SENCo) is swift to put support plans in place and work in partnership with other professionals. However, individual support plans require further development. In addition, staff working with children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) do not yet have good skills to fully support these children to make the best possible progress.
• Children benefit from experiences that further enhance their knowledge of the wider world. They plant, grow and harvest vegetables in the garden. They take part in regular physical, music and yoga sessions. Parents, as well as 'people who help us', visit to share their experiences. In addition, the local community links are strengthened when staff and children take trips out into the village, such as to the church and local care home. Staff work closely with the local village primary school to support transitions.
• Parents feel well informed about their children's progress. Staff implement a range of successful strategies to involve parents in their children's learning. For example, staff provide 'ask me' stickers to prompt parents to ask their children about their day. They provide beans for children to take home to grow and measure and a teddy and storybooks for parents to read with their children at home.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support staff to implement children's individual support plans in order to more swiftly close any gaps in learning
• support staff to further enhance their knowledge and skills in order to help children with SEND make the best possible progress.