Sommerville Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Parents and children are welcomed with excitement and warmth by staff when they arrive at the setting. Parents have the opportunity to engage in conversation with their child's key person at this time. A parent said, 'I appreciate that I can talk to my child's key worker when I do drop offs or pick ups.' Staff have high expectations of children's learning and behaviour. They model good manners and remind children to say please and thank you. Children are familiar with the nursery routines and follow the rules, that they have helped to create, to stay safe and happy. Children show enthusiasm and excitement exploring the stimulating play and learning opportunities.

Staff's secure knowledge of the children supports them to thrive and make good progress. Children enjoy sharing how they are feeling when singing the 'welcome song' during circle time and staff use this opportunity to extend children's emotional literacy knowledge. Children show their work off with pride and have their writing and work displayed on the board to celebrate their achievement. Children show a positive attitude to learning and are motivated to learn sign language. They can sign different colours and parents are very impressed with this.

Older children demonstrate increasing confidence in independently using the toilet, taking off their coats and shoes, as well as eating. Lunchtime is managed well. Children engage in discussions with staff about healthy eating. Older children serve their own nutritious meal and eat independently using cutlery, while the younger children are given more support.

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

• Staff, visitors and parents follow the good security systems in place, ensuring children keep safe.
• Staff provide stimulating and engaging learning environments, which encourage children to take part in activities to develop their curiosity, knowledge and skills across the prime and specific areas of the curriculum.
• Leaders and managers have delivered extensive training to develop staff's knowledge and understanding of the seven areas of learning in the early years foundation stage. Staff use this knowledge to effectively assess, plan and teach. Children make good progress.
• Parent communication and partnership is a key strength of the nursery. Staff have established good, trusting relationships with parents and use the 'childcare daily diary' to communicate about children with their parents.
• Staff have built strong attachments with their key children. They understand their role as key persons and ensure children are well cared for and receive the attention and support they require.
• Leaders and managers have a close working partnership with the local authority's early years and inclusion team.
• Staff and leaders have effective systems in place to assess children. This enables them to identify and track children who may have special educational needs and/or disabilities. Leaders work closely with the local authority and make referrals swiftly to provide children with the right support.
• Children learn to count and problem solve with adult support. However, staff do not provide many opportunities for children to apply their mathematical skills in context and solve problems independently. Mathematics is not embedded and woven throughout the provision.
• Children are given lots of opportunities to develop their fine motor skills. However, children's gross motor skills are not extended, as the curriculum for this aspect of physical development is not challenging. For example, children confidently ride the trikes, but are not challenged to take safe risks and try riding a bicycle with stabilisers.
• Leaders and managers have established good relationships with local religious leaders and invite them in to support children to learn about different religions. This supports children's understanding and respect towards people with different beliefs.
• Staff promote opportunities that support children to understand and value diversity and what makes them unique as individuals. Children and parents have been invited to celebrate their culture by dressing up in their cultural attire and bringing in a cultural dish to share with others.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• ensure mathematics is embedded and woven throughout children's play activities to provide more problem-solving opportunities for children, enabling children to apply their knowledge and understanding of numbers independently and in context
• enhance opportunities for children to develop their gross motor skills in the outdoor area and have available resources that allow children to take risks safely to challenge themselves further.