St George's Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children and parents receive a warm welcome from staff as they arrive at the nursery. Photos of the children and their families are displayed throughout the nursery. Staff talk to the children about the photos and use them to support children's sense of belonging in the setting and help pre-school children develop an understanding about their individuality and differences.

Staff ensure that children have the opportunity to play and exercise in the fresh air each day. Children listen to and follow instructions as they take part in sport coaching sessions and yoga sessions. Staff encourage children to play group games in the garden, such as the floor is lava. Children have the opportunity to practise their physical skills, balance, develop their spatial awareness and coordination.

Singing can be heard throughout the nursery. Toddlers know the actions to familiar rhymes and request their favourite songs and rhymes by name. Staff working with babies use Makaton and picture cards alongside verbal communication, to encourage babies to develop their spoken language and their communication skills. Staff support the children to count and use number in their play. Children confidently count the number of magnetic tiles that they have used to build a tower. Staff extend and challenge children's learning appropriately. They encourage the children to recognise and name the numbers written on the tiles.

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

• Staff gain information from parents and from observations of children to help them identify children's individual interests. They use this information well to plan activities that they know children will enjoy and will help children build on what they already know and can do. However, not all staff are clear about the curriculum intention and what they want children to learn. This has led to inconsistency in the implementation of the curriculum.
• Children's love of books and stories is evident. Staff are good storytellers who make books exciting. Babies, toddlers and pre-school children sit and listen with attention as staff read books with animation. Children know what happens next in the stories that are familiar to them. Toddlers and pre-school children join in with repeated lines from the story.
• Children notice when their friends have something different to eat. Staff support children to learn that some people cannot eat certain food due to allergies and food intolerances. That these foods can make their friends poorly. Children also learn that some people choose not to eat certain types of food due to their individual beliefs.
• The manager and staff are committed to working with other professionals to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. They put plans in place to help children to reach their full potential. Staff use additional funding to provide targeted intervention.
• Staff support children to develop their independence. Children are encouraged to pour their own drinks and serve their own meals and snack. Any spills are quickly and swiftly cleaned up to prevent any accidents. Children wash their hands before eating. Staff talk to them about the need to wash their hands in order to prevent germs from spreading and making them poorly. However, sometimes staff ask children to sit down too early for meals. This leads to children becoming restless and some children start to squabble.
• Staff support the children to cooperate and work alongside their friends. Children demonstrate that they are proud of a large rocket that they have built. After counting down to launch it, they work together to hold it and fly it around the room. Staff working in pre-school, support children to know and understand the golden rules for behaviour and to think about the consequences that their behaviour could have on themselves and others. However, staff working with toddlers do not support them to understand the impact of their behaviour, and why certain behaviour is not acceptable.
• Parents speak fondly about the staff that care for their children. They comment that their children are happy and enjoy attending the nursery. Staff work closely with parents to keep them updated about their child's development and help them understand how to support their child's learning at home. Children tell the inspector that they enjoy being at the nursery, they have lots of nice toys to play with and enjoy playing with their friends.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support all staff to understand the curriculum intention and implement it consistently
• review mealtime routines to ensure children do not face unnecessary delays
• support staff working with toddlers to implement the behaviour policy in a way that helps children understand behaviour exceptions and the impact of behaviour on others.