Spring Grove Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children settle quickly and develop strong bonds with their key person in this welcoming nursery. They giggle as they engage in games with the staff and are quickly soothed when they need reassurance. Staff understand the importance of supporting children's emotional well-being. They ensure that every child's care is tailored to meet their individual needs. Children arrive at the nursery with a smile and enjoy telling visitors about the things they enjoy doing there with their friends. Children are happy and feel safe.

Children's social and communication skills are developing well. They engage in rich two-way conversations and enjoy imaginative play. For example, children pretend that it is their friend's birthday as they act out having a party. Singing can be heard in abundance. Children of all ages confidently sing songs from memory and perform with actions in front of their friends. Children are becoming confident communicators.

Embedded daily routines and clear expectations support children to become independent and to develop positive attitudes to learning. At mealtimes, children share out the cups, serve their own food and pour from jugs. They competently use cutlery to cut up their own food. Children are taught how to manage their own personal needs. They wash their own hands and look in the mirror as they wipe their faces after eating. In their play, children develop their problem-solving skills and keep on trying. For example, babies find ways to stop the paper moving when they are drawing with chalk. Children are independent, resilient and self-assured.

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

• Under new leadership, this nursery has rapidly improved. Leaders have addressed the actions raised at the last inspection. They demonstrate that they are committed to providing high-quality care and education. Leaders support staff to improve their practice by using effective coaching and training to address weaknesses and to celebrate successes. Leaders have been unwavering in their focus on meeting the needs of all children, improving the quality of education and ensuring that the premises are safe.
• Leaders have designed a curriculum that sequentially builds on children's skills and knowledge over time. Staff know children well and are clear about what they want children to achieve. Overall, staff are now able to plan stimulating and purposeful learning experiences for children. However, some staff are not as confident to implement this consistently.
• Staff have access to a range of targeted training and professional development opportunities. Since the last inspection, accessing these opportunities has supported staff to develop their understanding of how children learn. However, this knowledge is not always used consistently by all staff to ensure that their interactions with children build on what they know and can do.
• Parents speak highly of the nursery and have noticed the recent improvements. They appreciate the communication that they receive from the staff. All parents, including those who have children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), say that their children are making good progress. Parents state that they have 'never felt more at home' at this 'wonderful nursery'.
• Children demonstrate that they understand early mathematical concepts. They frequently use mathematical language in their play. For example, children confidently count their steps as they play a game outside. They recognise the difference in size and use words such as 'big' and 'small'. Children's mathematical skills are developing well.
• Children's physical development is promoted throughout the nursery. Children develop the muscles in their hands and arms as they use chalks, paint and pencils to make marks on paper. Outside, they run at speed and use their strength to push the pedals on their bikes. All children, including those with SEND, are making good progress in their physical development.
• Recent investment in staff training and resources has supported the leaders' vision for children to develop a love of reading. Children now benefit from having access to a wide range of books. Staff have carefully considered which books will capture children's interest and they plan activities linked to these stories. Children enjoy looking at books and recall the details of stories that they have previously read. For example, they excitedly join in with key phrases from a familiar story as they pretend to go on a bear hunt.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support staff to strengthen their understanding of how to plan learning experiences that help children to make optimum progress over time
• support and extend children's learning by ensuring that staff's interactions with them consistently build on what they know and can do.