South Hills Nursery (Salisbury)

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are happy, exuberant and feel loved. Staff are enthusiastic, professional and delight in all children. They expertly ask young children to use their words to say how they would like to move to music. Children feel listened to and love to express themselves in movement while learning to use new vocabulary. Staff skilfully provide older children with a blend of planned learning activities alongside time for them to explore and have their own ideas. Children's attention is captivated as they sustain their concentration and listen with fascination to the sounds in words. They delight in recognising challenging shapes and love to think of creative and inventive ways of answering questions about colours.

Children are kind to one another and behave exceptionally well as they play together. Children feel confident, safe and secure. They love to talk about their play, such as explaining how their superhero models have 'powers'. All children make excellent progress, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Staff are patient and give children the time that they need to engage in activities and incorporate learning into all aspects of their play and routines.

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

• The manager provides staff with inspirational leadership. Leaders have developed a highly ambitious curriculum that supports maximum progress for each child. Staff are very knowledgeable about how children develop. They sequence each child's learning so that they can apply key skills in their activities. For example, staff expertly teach pre-school aged children to hold pencils and pens with an efficient grip. Children draw confidently, precisely and accurately and are well prepared for future learning. Staff model language well for younger children by repeating their sentences with extra words, helping children learn new vocabulary.
• Leaders and staff know individual children extremely well. They consider experiences children might not have had and go the extra mile to ensure they benefit from meaningful, additional activities. They take children on trips to the local library, arrange swimming sessions alongside parents and celebrate parties at the community centre. Children take part in music sessions with a visiting musician and visit historical landmarks. Children recently enjoyed celebrating the new monarch and helped arrange a teddy bears' picnic and wrote cards to the King.
• Staff accurately identify children's needs and quickly implement plans to help them catch up with their peers. They work closely with parents and external agencies to secure the specialist support and advice children need. Staff are proficient at modifying activities to motivate children and practise skills that help them progress.
• Children adore books. At every opportunity, staff share books with children. They are exceptionally skilled at holding children's attention and keeping them riveted with the stories that they read. Younger children learn to respect books, turn pages and enjoy the sensations of sensory books while staff build children's vocabulary by consistently modelling new words.
• Children's behaviour is exemplary. They are kind and help one another while they play. Children are highly motivated to give difficult activities a go. Staff expertly foster children's determination by praising their attempts, 'It makes me so happy when I know you tried your best!'
• Children are independent. They decide what to wear when preparing to go outside by checking the weather and selecting appropriate clothing. All children independently get themselves dressed in waterproof overalls and wellies, with staff on hand to prompt and guide only when needed. Staff give children responsibilities, which children love and take pride in undertaking. All children help to tidy up and actively support others to do the same.
• The setting has excellent partnerships with parents. Parents appreciate the love and joy that staff take in their children. They say, 'I'm going to cry when it's time for my child to leave'. Parents, including children with SEND, are well informed about their child's progress and developmental needs. Staff provide parents with fun ideas that they can do at home to help children learn.