SRC Community Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The managers and staff provide children with a calm and inviting environment. Children arrive happy. They have formed strong bonds with the staff. Reassurance and comfort are offered to children and they settle well. This means that children remain confident and secure at nursery. The staff know the children well. They set out activities that capture the children's interest. Children are quick to engage in self-directed play.

Staff and managers plan an ambitious curriculum that excites children and supports their learning and development. Babies enjoy messy play with cornstarch. They make marks and explore with their hands. Staff develop older children's vocabulary by extending on children's sentences and asking open-ended questions. Staff model how to use scissors safely as children practise cutting with scissors as they make their own snowman, making choices about how to decorate them. Children say they would like to make 'buttons' and staff reply, 'shiny paper buttons or soft paper buttons?. As a result, children concentrate for long periods of time, cutting out key features for their snowman while using the correct vocabulary. All children make good progress.

Staff are positive role models to the children, they are kind and model good manners. They ensure all children are included, gently inviting reluctant children to activities. Staff praise the children on their achievements, which makes babies and young children smile. Older children are keen to share their play with staff. They are proud and motivated by staff's positive feedback.

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

• Staff provide children with support and opportunities for physical development. Staff support children in selecting the right bikes. For example, some children practise using balance bikes while other children learn how to pedal. Children take risks as they climb through, under and on top of garden furniture, which develops their confidence and self-esteem. Managers plan to develop the garden environment further to enhance children's sensory and natural play experiences.
• Children develop a keen interest in books, stories and nursery rhymes. Babies and young children excitedly join in with familiar songs and rhymes. Staff use active rhymes and puppets to fully engage children. Young children enjoy opening flaps on boxes to find animals as they read the 'Dear Zoo' book. Older children act out stories, such as 'Were Going on a Bear Hunt'. They can retell stories and show a good understanding of key vocabulary.
• Parents speak very highly of the nursery. Communication is effective and parents feel informed about their child's time at the nursery. They say that staff are kind, caring and extremely supportive. Parents like the personalised support plans and targets that are put in place and shared with parents. This encourages parents to become active educators at home.
• Staff help children explore their emotions. During group-time activities, children name their emotions and provide examples of why they feel that way. Children are beginning to show interest in other people's emotions. They confidently tell staff that they too should feel happy because the children have been well behaved and are tidying up well. Children are beginning to understand how their actions affect others.
• Children behave well and show kindness towards others. Staff use warm tones to remind children about 'kind hands' and sharing. Generally, children listen and respond well. On occasions, when staff talk to children about rules and give them instructions, they do not check their understanding. Consequently, children repeat the same behaviours or actions because they did not fully understand the rules or instructions.
• Generally, interactions are good. Staff deploy themselves effectively to support children's learning and provide positive interactions. They comment on what children do and conversations with children are meaningful. However, at times staff do not manage the noise levels effectively with the older children. They have not fully considered how this may affect children's communication and language development.
• The managers and staff aim for children to gain independence. They encourage children to find their own belongings and get ready for going outside. Staff role model using cutlery and support children to self-feed. Older children scrape their own plates after lunch. Children build on their independence skills well.
• Staff's well-being is supported well. Staff receive regular supervisions to discuss training needs and emotional well-being. Staff state that managers respond swiftly when they request extra guidance and that they have manageable workloads.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support staff to reduce the noise levels with older children, to fully promote children's communication and language development
• ensure that staff check children's understanding of any rules and instructions given.