St Michaels Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children and their parents receive a warm welcome on arrival at the nursery from happy staff who know them well. Children run into their rooms excitedly and settle quickly, eager to explore the environment and activities on offer. Staff have organised the learning environment well to enable children at different stages of development to play safely. Children demonstrate that they are happy and confident as they make their own choices about their play.

Staff truly nurture the children in their care. They place a high priority on children's emotional security and show genuine care for each child. For instance, they give cuddles and gently soothe tired babies to sleep and share stories with older children in cosy book areas. This supports children's emotional well-being and helps them to feel secure and happy.

Staff recognise each child as an individual. They provide children with opportunities to learn about a range of celebrations and festivals from different cultures, such as Mother's Day and Eid. As a result, children begin to recognise what makes them unique and develop a sense of themselves as valuable members of the wider community. Staff have clear expectations for children's behaviour. These are age-appropriate and understood by children. Staff gently reinforce these simple but important rules throughout the day, reminding children about walking feet and 'kind hands'. Overall, children behave well.

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

• Staff support children's communication and language development effectively. They model language well as they narrate play and engage in conversations with children. For those who are not yet speaking or require further support, staff make use of objects and pictures to reinforce vocabulary. Action songs, rhymes and stories feature throughout the day. Staff explore the sounds of words with children. For example, younger children join in making animal sounds as they enjoy a familiar story, while older children listen for the rhyming words as they share a story about a dinosaur. As a result, all children make good progress with their communication and language skills.
• Staff help children to develop good hygiene practices and to understand the importance of washing their hands. They encourage children to take responsibility for their self-care. Staff explain the importance of getting rid of germs as they wipe babies' hands before eating, while older children manage their toileting and handwashing independently. At mealtimes, staff support babies and younger children to feed themselves. Older children serve and feed themselves. This supports children's physical development, encourages independence and prepares children well for the next stage, including the move to school.
• Staff understand how children develop and learn. They plan activities linked to children's current interests and recent assessments. For example, they use children's interest in vehicles to enhance a mark-making activity. However, during some small-group sessions, the intentions for learning are not clear and staff do not adapt their teaching to meet the learning needs of all children. At these times, every child does not consistently make the best possible progress.
• Staff make adaptations to the provision to enable children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) to make progress in their learning. They work closely with parents and other professionals to ensure that children with SEND receive the help they need. Consequently, children with SEND make good progress from their starting points.
• Leaders have a clear vision for the future of the setting. They are committed to developing the provision to offer high-quality experiences for all children. Leaders are reflective and realistic. Since the last inspection, leaders have taken steps to improve their provision. This includes investing in a programme of ongoing training for all staff.
• Staff promote positive behaviour, and children generally behave well as they play and learn alongside their friends. Children are polite, and they use their manners. For example, they wait their turn and say 'please' and 'thank you' at mealtimes. However, routines and transitions between key parts of the day are not consistently well embedded. Therefore, children sometimes drift from one activity to another and are not engaged in meaningful learning.
• Parents are happy with the care and education provided. They appreciate the communication they receive about their children's learning and development and comment positively on the progress their children have made, particularly with their language development.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• ensure that small-group activities have clear and sharply focused intentions for learning to enable all children to make as much progress as possible
• improve the organisation of transition times to ensure that routines are well structured and children remain engaged in purposeful learning.