St John's Nursery - Heath Hayes

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The manager is aware of the ongoing impact the COVID-19 pandemic is still having on children's speech and behaviour. Consequently, staff focus on developing children's language and social skills throughout the day. For example, staff use 'communication screening tools' to highlight where additional support may be needed. This ensures that no child gets left behind in their learning. Generally, staff manage children's behaviour well. They have attended behaviour training and create focused intervention plans to strengthen children's behaviour.

Staff know children well. This means they are extremely aware of how to best meet their individual needs and keep them safe. For instance, when children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) feel overwhelmed, staff help them to move on in their routine. Where possible, children benefit from one-to-one support with key persons. This supports their emotional development and ongoing happiness.

Staff provide children with opportunities to develop their fine and gross motor skills, while also developing their imagination. For example, children explore different movements as they dance around with ribbons. As they engage in sand and creative play, staff ask them questions and model actions, such as mixing the sand 'round and round' in a bowl. This encourages children's positive relationships with key persons. Parents and carers are delighted with the bonds their children form with staff and the support they receive to continue children's learning at home.

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

• The manager has appointed two special educational needs coordinators to ensure looked after children and those with SEND are well supported. They have introduced a 'communication passport' which contains important information about individual children. This helps staff and students to understand the needs of those who cannot communicate easily. Staff demonstrate good knowledge of the referral process, and they ensure children get timely support when needed.
• Children remember long term what they have learned. For example, they talk about their experiences during play, and enthusiastically sing the tidy-up song as they put away their toys. Parents comment on how their children copy the activities staff provide them when at home, such as looking for items beginning with the letter 't'. This shows the positive impact teaching has on children's learning.
• Staff confidently liaise with previous settings that children have attended, and they find out what the future schools expectations are for children's learning. This information helps staff to plan the setting's curriculum, ensuring children continue to make good progress from their starting points and acquire the vital skills to be school ready.
• Funding is used appropriately to meet the needs of children from disadvantaged backgrounds. For instance, the manager provides children with extra sessions to promote consistency for some children all year round.
• Staff use a range of methods to share information with parents, including face- to-face feedback, online assessments, and newsletters. Parents speak highly of the setting, including how well children progress in their development, particularly in their communication skills.
• Staff often sing and use visual aids to help children to understand what is happening 'now' and what is going to happen 'next'. This positively reduces children's anxiety about transitions.
• Staff acknowledge that some boys in the group find it hard to concentrate, and they identify when their energy levels and enthusiasm needs re-directing. However, at times, routines and methods of teaching do not fully help these children to better concentrate. This impacts on their attitudes to learning.
• Children enjoy doing things for themselves, such as collecting their own lunch box at lunchtimes and having the opportunity to make simple choices for what they want to play with. However, they do not consistently have opportunities to develop their independence. For example, staff open food wrappers for them, and they serve them their toast. This does not help children to make rapid progress in this area.
• Highly motivated staff talk proudly of their close-knit team. For example, they expressively comment on the support they receive, including how they have personally grown in self-confidence because of the setting. They say the manager really values their opinions and cares about their mental health. Furthermore, staff and students widely benefit from a range of opportunities to upskill, such as attending staff meetings, where staff members cascade back what they have learned through training.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• help staff to reflect on practice, taking into consideration the energy and engagement levels of boys to better promote their concentration skills
• support staff to recognise and make better use of opportunities to help children to develop their independence and self-help skills.