Spring - Winlaton

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are very happy in this friendly and caring nursery. Parents comment that their children are very happy and settled. Managers and staff are passionate about providing high-quality support for children's individual needs. They have recently reorganised the nursery rooms to support children's age and stage of development more effectively. Children are very safe in the nursery. Staff supervise children carefully. They act swiftly when they identify any potential hazards. For example, they supervise babies exceptionally well as they sit up, to make sure they do not fall back and hurt themselves.

Managers have developed a clear curriculum based on what they want children to learn. There is a clear focus on the development of children's skills in communication and language and personal and social development. They plan how they can help children acquire the skills they need throughout their time in the nursery, this includes identifying core stories and rhymes. Staff manage behaviour well. For example, they use terms such as 'stop' to calm situations before reminding children of their expectations. Staff remind children of what they should be doing and the reasons for this. Older children explain that they need to use 'walking feet' inside. Staff provide advice and support to parents on how they can manage children's behaviour at home.

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

• Training is exceptionally well focused on helping staff to improve their practice. Recent training on specific ages has given staff more confidence to lead group times and support children's learning. Staff share key points from training with staff. For example, staff have introduced well-being baskets and stories to help children to manage their feelings and emotions.
• Babies settle quickly. They develop very strong relationships with staff and seek them out for reassurance. Staff have thought carefully about what they want children to learn. They provide motivational activities to support their learning further. Toddlers thoroughly enjoy making paint with chalk and develop their shoulder muscles as they paint with it on the walls.
• Staff provide a range of opportunities for children to develop their independence. From an early age, children learn to serve themselves food and pour out water. Staff take time to show babies and toddlers how to use forks and spoons. As children move through the nursery, they become particularly skilled at using knives and forks to feed themselves.
• Due to the reorganisation of the rooms, staff are establishing routines within the rooms. Some aspects of the current routine do not support two-year-old children to maintain high levels of concentration. Sometimes, when children have to wait around to wash hands or serve their fruit, they become restless and this impacts on their attention and concentration.
• Children make very good progress in their communication and language. Managers use funding effectively to purchase resources and provide further staff training in this area. Staff use a range of strategies to support children to expand their language skills. Staff talk to parents about how they can support children's communication further, for instance, by reducing the use of dummies.
• Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities make very good progress. Staff work very closely with other professionals to provide children with the support they need. They plan interventions to provide children with the help they require. They evaluate the progress children make and seek advice and support when necessary. This helps children to catch up with their peers.
• Staff develop good relationships with parents. Parents generally appreciate the electronic communication and value the information they receive regarding their children's day. Parents know what their children are learning and value the advice staff give them about managing children's behaviour at home. The manager recognises that she now needs to consider new ways of sharing even more detailed information with parents or carers who prefer not to use the electronic app.
• The manager supports staff's well-being exceptionally well. Staff say they feel exceptionally well supported and value the informal discussions that they have to check in on their well-being.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• ensure routines support two-year-old children to maintain high levels of concentration and engagement
• seek new ways of gathering and sharing information with all parents, to support children even further.