St Richard's School Nursery Unit

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children separate from their parents with ease as they happily enter this warm and welcoming nursery. They independently place their belongings in their named drawer. Children display a strong sense of belonging and show that they feel safe and secure. For example, children chat away enthusiastically to staff and spontaneously cuddle into them. Staff respond with a smile, showing genuine warmth and kindness.

Children are active learners. They enjoy the outdoor learning environment and have many opportunities to develop their physical skills. For example, children enjoy swinging and spinning from a tree swing and whizzing down a slide. Children make good progress in their learning and develop good friendships and imagination. For example, they peg socks onto a washing line and say, 'we did all the washing, we were busy'. Children demonstrate a love of books. They listen intently to their favourite stories, talk about the pictures and join in with familiar phrases.

Staff have high expectations of children's behaviour. Staff are good role models, and they support children to resolve any minor conflicts swiftly. Children display kindness towards their friends. Older children help younger children participate in activities. For example, they allow younger children to go down the slide before them. Staff praise children for their efforts, causing them to smile.

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

• The enthusiastic and experienced leader leads her staff well. She monitors staff practice through observations and she meets with staff regularly. Leaders give staff many opportunities for training to help support their key children. For instance, recent training on story telling has made staff more confident in how to read stories to children, to increase their enjoyment.
• The curriculum is well designed to meet children's needs, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and children who speak English as an additional language. Leaders support staff in implementing a meaningful curriculum that values children's individuality with the use of child-led and creative activities. Staff work in partnership with parents and other professionals to ensure that information is regularly shared, reviewed and updated. Staff assess children's needs well and know when to make referrals to other agencies. Leaders use additional funding appropriately to benefit those children who need it the most.
• Leaders place a strong emphasis on supporting children to develop good communication and language skills. For example, children line up to go outside and move in a 'caterpillar conga'. Children laugh and sing the words, 'caterpillar conga'. Staff ask children purposeful questions during activities, such as when they are printing fabric with leaves and flowers. They talk to children and encourage conversations. Staff ask questions about what patterns they have made and how have the colours changed. Children concentrate and consider their response before giving appropriate answers. Staff encourage children to do things for themselves. For example, they use mallets independently to hit the leaves and flowers in between fabric. This helps to develop their hand-eye coordination skills.
• Staff support children's early mathematical development well and incorporate mathematics into activities. For example, children show resilience when they build with bricks together to make tall towers. Staff talk to the children about the size of them, encouraging children to say whether they are 'long' or 'short'. Staff encourage children to look at the different size bricks. This helps children to understand mathematics and differences in size.
• Children are beginning to learn some good hygiene routines. For example, they independently wash their hands before lunch. However, some hygiene routines are not consistently promoted by staff. For instance, children occasionally do not wash their hands after using the bathroom. This does not help to minimise the spread of any germs.
• Parents are positive about the support given to their children. They receive lots of information, such as what their children are learning and the progress they have made. Staff make sure to involve parents in their child's learning. For example, they invite parents into the setting for stay-and-play sessions with their children. This helps to provide continuity in children's learning.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• strengthen hygiene routines to promote good self-care skills for children.