Spring Thorpe Hamlet

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are greeted by warm enthusiastic staff. They separate from parents with ease. Children quickly settle into learning at the exciting activities on offer. They feel safe and secure as they confidently explore the learning environment with curiosity. The nursery utilises its local community well, with visits to the woods, local bakery and shop to extend children's learning.

The curriculum is ambitious and heavily focused on communication and language, as the manager and staff understand that this underpins all other areas of learning. Singing of songs and nursery rhymes can be heard throughout the nursery. Children respond with actions and recite familiar words or phrases during their play. Staff use assessment tools to identify delays in language development and provide swift interventions. They work closely with speech and language therapists and implement effective strategies to enable children to make progress. Children who speak English as an additional language benefit from hearing staff use words from their home languages to help them understand daily routines and activities.

Children develop a love of books. Staff choose books that will specifically support children's language skills through new words and repetition. They share books with individual children and in groups. Children listen attentively to the 'Stickman' story and discuss what type of animals might live in a nest. Children enjoy taking part in activities at group circle time. Staff encourage children to listen and respond to others as they explore and make predictions about what a dragon fruit looks like inside. As a result, children are developing positive attitudes to learning in preparation for their next phase of education.

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

• The enthusiastic manager and dedicated staff team have a clear vision for what they want children to achieve. They know children well and plan a wide variety of exciting activities across all areas of learning.
• The manager and her staff work extremely well as a team, drawing on each other's strengths. Staff have access to a range of professional development opportunities and a management pathway. Staff report they feel extremely well supported and their workload is manageable. However, although the manager monitors staff well-being and provides coaching, the formal supervisions do not focus on setting clear targets to improve staff performance to a higher level.
• Staff are effective role models. They provide children with clear expectations. As a result, children behave well. Children use sand timers to support themselves to take turns, for example when they explore the similarities and differences of toy insects. Staff support children to resolve their own conflicts.
• Transitions into and through the nursery are good. Staff build strong attachments with their key children. They are nurturing and attentive to children's care routines and provide comfort and reassurance. Key persons produce 'one-page profiles' that follow the children's progress through the nursery. However, there are no systems in place for staff to liaise with other settings children attend, to ensure a continuation of care and learning.
• Children develop independence from a young age. For example, babies are starting to feed themselves with spoons. Young children cut up their own fruit and pour their own drinks. Older children use cutlery and serve themselves at lunch. They put on their own shoes and coats and wash their hands before mealtimes.
• Staff support children to recognise and name their emotions and those of others. Children have opportunities to talk about how they are feeling at group times. Less-confident children are encouraged to give a thumbs up or thumbs down.
• Children have access to fresh air as they move between indoors and outdoors. Staff support them to develop their physical skills as they make an obstacle course. Children show resilience and problem-solving skills when pieces do not fit together.
• Parent partnerships are strong. Parents speak highly of staff and how 'warm and friendly' they are. Parents feel well informed about their children's progress. The staff share information with parents about how they can support their children's learning at home.
• Staff promote the development of early mathematics. They sing counting rhymes and incorporate counting objects and mathematical language in their interactions with children.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• enhance formal supervisions of staff to focus more sharply on providing clear targets for professional development, to raise the quality of practice further
• increase partnership working with other settings that children attend to promote a more consistent approach to care and learning.