St Mary's Nursery Group

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children attending this nursery are supported to be confident, independent learners who know how to follow daily routines. They put on their own coats before going outside and know how to take off their shoes and socks before climbing into the sandpit. At snack time, children choose their own fruit and peel it themselves. They are confident to ask for help when they need it. At lunchtimes, children walk with staff to the on-site primary school to eat their lunch. This prepares them for later transitions to school.

Children take part in rich and varied activities that promote their physical development. Young children join in with mark-making activities for extended periods. Indoors, they explore the texture of play dough and learn how to hold and use a variety of tools to make shapes and models. Children learn to manage risk. For instance, they test if objects can take their weight before standing on them.

Staff are positive role models. They speak to children with care and respect and instil an understanding of feelings. Children are routinely invited to identify how they are feeling. Staff get to know children well and recognise when they are experiencing strong emotions. They take children to a quieter space where they can learn to regulate their emotions and take some time away from the busy nursery environment. This supports all children, including children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, to make good progress, through nurture and understanding.

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

• There is a strong safeguarding culture in the nursery. Staff and managers carry out vigorous risk assessments and know how to record and report any concerns. Leaders and managers carry out appropriate recruitment procedures to check the suitability of staff working with children. That said, those responsible for the setting have failed to notify Ofsted about changes to committee members within the required time frame. Nonetheless, the impact on children is minimised because committee members who have not yet had their suitability verified do not have any unsupervised contact with children.
• Children benefit from personalised transitions to nursery. Parents share extensive information with the nursery to provide a clear insight into the children, their families and their early childhood experiences. Children attend settling-in sessions with their parents, where they get to know their key person and develop early relationships. As a result, children settle quickly when they start attending and feel safe in the care of the attentive staff.
• Children behave well and have positive attitudes towards their learning. They join in with activities with their peers and staff for extended periods. Children immediately respond when they hear the tidy-up music playing. They work collaboratively to tidy up the resources that they have been playing with. Staff provide support and encouragement. They show children how to take construction pieces apart safely.
• Managers and staff have created positive partnerships with parents. Parents speak highly of the team and the positive communication that they receive. They are aware of the activities that their children take part in, as this information is shared with them daily. Children choose activity packs to take home to explore with their families. This helps parents understand how to support their children's learning further at home.
• The nursery team works together to devise a curriculum that is continually evolving to meet the changing needs of the children who attend. The team plans activities that follow children's interests. Children work collaboratively with staff to create maps. They identify where their treasure is hidden. Children talk about the forms of transport they can use to travel across the land and sea.
• Children are immersed in a communication-rich environment, where books are used widely to enhance their understanding of language and vocabulary. They visit the library to choose stories that they are interested in and learn how to take care of books. Core books are repeated daily so that children begin to remember and join in with repeated words and phrases. This instils a love of reading in the children.
• Children take part in a variety of activities that teach them about how to live healthy lifestyles. They learn the importance of good oral hygiene through visits to the local dental practice. They act out their learning about dentists in their pretend play. Children take part in weekly martial arts and yoga sessions where they develop confidence, attention and listening skills.
• Staff and managers feel supported in the nursery. They report that their well-being is prioritised and that they have access to necessary training. Staff receive regular supervision from leaders and managers to share any concerns they have. However, some inconsistencies in teaching are not being identified. This means that staff are not always aware of how they can further improve their teaching skills.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider must:

• ensure that any changes to the registered body are notified to Ofsted within the required time frame. (by 13 October 2024)

The provider should:

• build on the arrangements for the supervision, support and monitoring of staff to accurately identify ways to enhance teaching further.