St Michael's Family Centre (St Clements Site)

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children thoroughly enjoy their time at this welcoming nursery. They happily leave their parents at the door and are supported, when needed, by the friendly and nurturing staff. Children develop strong attachments from the start of their care. Staff know the children and their families well and, as a result, children settle quickly and have a strong sense of belonging. Children enjoy looking at photographs of their families and the families of their friends. Staff support discussions about the people they can see, and this helps children to build on their knowledge of similarities and differences.

Children respond well to the securely embedded rules and routines of the nursery. Staff ensure that children are aware of what is happening now and next, through discussions and visual prompts. They communicate their high expectations of children's behaviour through clear, simple instructions. Children are encouraged to help to tidy away and know they need to wash their hands before mealtimes. Staff help children to develop good social skills, such as taking turns in play. Consequently, children's behaviour is good.

Staff provide a learning environment that captivates children's interests. As children eagerly explore the water area, staff support discussions about the names of the sea creatures they find, building on their prior knowledge. Younger children develop their hand-to-eye coordination as they carefully transport water from one container to another. Older children delight in looking for minibeasts in the garden, and use a tick sheet to monitor the insects they find. Experiences such as these help children to make good progress in their learning.

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

• The manager is enthusiastic and dedicated to providing children with the best possible start in their education. She devises a curriculum that incorporates all areas of learning, ensuring that the developmental needs and interests of the children are planned for and consistently evaluated.
• Staff use effective assessments to track children's progress from their starting points and plan activities that are targeted to meet children's individual learning needs. This has a positive impact on the quality of learning and care for all children. During self-directed time, children thoroughly immerse themselves in their play. They make the staff and their peers pretend cups of tea and share slices of cake. As they explore the outdoor area, they water the plants and talk about what is needed to help fruit grow. However, during self-directed play, some staff do not consistently recognise when children would benefit from interventions to extend their learning and enjoyment.
• Staff encourage children to develop a real interest in books. During free play, children snuggle up and share stories of their choice. They listen intently as staff enthusiastically read to them, engaging them in discussions and building on their growing vocabulary. During adult-led group times, staff read well-known texts and children show good levels of engagement as they join in with familiar words and phrases.
• Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are well supported. The special educational needs coordinator is alert to children's emerging difficulties and responds swiftly to concerns about children's development. She makes timely referrals so that children receive additional support from health professionals and implements personalised intervention plans. The nursery uses funding well to meet the needs of those for whom it is intended. They ensure that all children are well prepared for the next stage in their learning journey.
• Overall, children have opportunities to develop their independence. Staff teach them how to put on and take off their coats, and encourage them to open packets from their lunch boxes. Opportunities such as these help children to develop the skills needed in readiness for school. At times, staff do not encourage children to complete things for themselves, including independently putting on dressing-up clothes and selecting their own fruit at snack time.
• Partnerships with parents are strong. Parents are extremely complimentary about the staff and value their commitment to ensuring that their children are safe and well cared for. Staff have successful systems in place to communicate with parents. They send regular updates about the children's day and share practical ideas to support learning at home. There is an effective two-way flow of information to help provide a consistent approach to the support that children receive.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support staff to better recognise and make more effective use of spontaneous opportunities to extend and challenge children's learning during their chosen play
• support staff in using every opportunity to consistently promote children's independence.