St Anne's College Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The staff at the nursery nourish children by providing them with a rich curriculum that is based on nature, the environment and their place within it. Children arrive excitedly and join activities straightaway. They show high levels of concentration and are curious to learn. The staff team is meticulous in its knowledge of all the children attending. Staff support children skilfully in daily experiences that allow children to build on their skills and knowledge over time. For example, children recall the exact recipe for play dough, and when asked what scent they should make it, they respond with 'lavender'. They independently locate the lavender in the garden and bring it back to the table to use in their creations.

Children are taught about fire safety, and staff enable a safe environment in which children flourish. This supports children as they feel safe, well cared for and supported to learn. Staff support children exceptionally well and behaviour is exemplary. Children have autonomy and make independent choices. Their interests are expertly understood and planned for. For example, children show a distinct interest in snails. They have built a snail house and researched food to feed snails, and their interest in them is still evolving daily. The staff team nurtures children's interests superbly and, as a result, children demonstrate incredible language and understanding. This is providing children with excellent skills for their future.

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

• The committee is fully supportive of the curriculum and the manager's vision for the quality of the provision. Partnership working and collaboration are fundamental to the success of the nursery, and all understand their role within it. This directly supports the broad and ambitious curriculum. This has a positive influence on opportunities afforded to children, their development and achievements.
• Staff are exceptionally effective early years leaders. The environment that staff create supports children's curiosity superbly. For example, children recall the names of many herbs and fruit trees. They play for extensive periods of time, such as in the sandpit. They explore mathematical concepts as they build a tripod and suspend a bag of water, discussing volume, weight and solutions to release the water. Children work collaboratively to turn the hosepipe on and gather tools with purpose. Younger children sit with caring adults. They listen to stories and rhymes, seeking comfort as they settle.
• Language and communication skills are a priority. Staff use books and social stories to skilfully promote language and communication development across all age groups. Staff are expert role models in their interactions with children. They use photos of previous events to help children revisit learning that originated from their own interests. For example, children use photos to recall with accurate detail times when they built complex constructions from tubing and planks. Staff explain that they use these opportunities to celebrate and embed children's interests and develop their character. This supports their emotional well-being superbly.
• Staff discuss future development opportunities and extend their own learning to enrich the children's environment. For example, the staff team is learning about permaculture as a way of further developing the curriculum intent. This helps staff to enrich their teaching about sustainability and respect for the environment.
• Leaders provide excellent opportunities that help children develop high levels of respect and appreciation. For example, children learn about sharing with others. They offer the produce that they grow in the garden and handmade gifts that they make to exchange with others in the nursery community. This helps children to develop links and relationships with others in a unique way.
• Children's learning is revisited and embedded as part of the routine. For example, children take visitors on a guided tour of the garden, ably naming marjoram, rosemary and nasturtium plants. They differentiate superbly between spearmint and chocolate mint. By tasting herbs, they correlate and begin to make links. They describe how bay leaves remind them of cooked ham and cinnamon of an apple pie. This helps children to competently make links to the world around them.