Spinning Tops Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children develop extremely close bonds with staff and settle quickly in their care. They arrive smiling and eager to learn in the homely and welcoming environment that staff create. Children rapidly gain confidence in sharing their ideas as they use play dough to make pretend ice creams with staff. They develop their hand muscles as staff encourage them to use a variety of tools, such as rolling pins, to manipulate the dough into pots and cones. Children learn new vocabulary and knowledge from staff, including what a 'Neapolitan' ice cream is and why ice cream drips when it is melting. They use their imagination to add different objects to their play, such as a wooden stick to mimic a 'flake'. Staff praise children for persevering to make their creations. This motivates children to extend their play further, for example feeding ice creams to toy dinosaurs. Staff teach children about ways to stay healthy, suggesting that they might have to brush the dinosaurs' teeth after eating all the ice creams.

Children behave extremely well and know what staff expect of them from a young age. They all stop, wiggle their fingers and listen so staff can explain instructions to them. Children follow the instructions and put the resources away without needing support. Children show their strong friendships and happily invite their friends into their play, sharing resources willingly. They demonstrate their care of others and imitate the language that staff use to make sure others are alright when they have a minor trip in the garden.

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

• Since the last inspection, leaders have made sure that their vetting procedures are appropriate and have re-trained all staff in child protection.
• Staff know all the children extremely well and place great emphasis on getting to know their individual personalities. They play alongside children to assess what they already know and can do, and they identify what children need to learn next. This includes children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Staff share this information with the rest of the staffing team so they can support the children consistently.
• Staff use what they know about children's interests to plan the activities and resources in the environment. Pre-school children enjoy pushing a variety of vehicles down the outdoor slide, discussing with staff what happens when the vehicles go through a puddle at the bottom of the slide. Staff help the children to develop this play into a race. Children take turns and listen carefully for the words 'on your marks, get set, go'. However, some staff do not always focus on what individual children need to learn next during play. Therefore, some children do not always make the most progress they are capable of.
• Staff support children to develop their communication from a young age. They repeat simple key words and encourage children under one-year-old to make different 'roar' noises as they explore dinosaur toys and masks. Staff use new language with them as they touch and feel different surfaces such as 'bumpy', children try to repeat these new words.
• Staff support older children to learn the importance of stories and songs. They help them to share what they know about the meaning of a title, author and blurb of a book. Staff read stories in extremely engaging ways, including about a dinosaur who hides his peas. They encourage children to make suggestions about what happens next and help them to share their thoughts. Staff remind children how eating peas makes them strong.
• Staff help children to develop their independence. They help young children learn how to go down the stairs safely by sitting on every step and taking their time. When a young child tries climbing up a wet small slide, staff remain close so they can ensure their safety and offer praise for their determination.
• Leaders encourage staff to undertake a variety of online training they might find useful. They hold meetings for staff to support them to work collaboratively and they offer staff general support and guidance during the day. However, some staff find implementing the curriculum challenging, which creates some inconsistencies in teaching. Leaders do not always identify what targeted support individual staff need to be able to help them develop their practice.
• Parents and carers are extremely positive about the care, education and support that children receive from staff and leaders at the setting. They say that communication is 'excellent' and helps them consistently support children at home.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• develop staff's ability to focus further on children's individual learning needs during the planning and implementation of activities so that children make the best possible progress
• strengthen how leaders identify and provide the necessary support for individual staff to be able to implement the setting's chosen curriculum more effectively.