St Thomas' Church Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are extremely well behaved and attentive. They respond to instructions and guidance thoughtfully and with initiative. For instance, when children are asked to tidy up, they understand that working as a team helps everyone. Children consequently check the willow tunnels together for any missing toys and carry large objects, such as crates and planks, in pairs. They feel safe in staff's care. Children learn to assess and manage their own risks as they play. For example, they discuss the best ways to make a pretend aeroplane so that passengers can get in safely, and not fall off their seats or knock the sides down.

Children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), are very happy and eager to learn. They respond well to staff's consistently high expectations and make excellent progress. Children develop self-awareness and confidence to learn. They enjoy many different experiences, such as choral singing for parents, or learning words in Swahili and German. Children are fully prepared for the next stage in their learning, including starting school.

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, staff took strong steps to ensure that every child was supported and cared for. Parents especially appreciated that staff made arrangements to stay open during the school holidays, as well as their normal term-time opening hours.

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

• The experienced manager leads her very well-qualified team of staff with passion and purpose. Staff scrutinise and reflect on the quality of teaching and learning, to consistently build on all aspects of the nursery. All staff have well-defined leadership roles and make full use of innovative training to enrich children's communication skills and give two year olds the very best of starts. They make certain that the curriculum they provide is rich, sharply focused and engaging to fully meet children's needs.
• Staff promote children's communication skills extremely well. They carefully plan to extend and secure children's key vocabulary and language skills, such as recognising rhyming patterns. Staff provide weekly information for parents on ways to support this learning at home. Children love to use the exciting words staff introduce them to. For example, they 'transform' the shape in their modelling work or act as the 'cabin crew' and 'pilot' on their way to their 'destination' in their role play.
• Staff accurately assess children's starting points in learning. They identify and address any gaps in children's development. Staff make very good use of any additional funding that children receive. For example, highly experienced staff provide individual care to help children to gain the independence and skills which they need for future learning.
• Staff place books at the heart of much of children's learning. They read stories in a highly engaging way. Staff skilfully question children to deepen their understanding and recall. They carefully choose books that develop children's interests and introduce them to a world beyond their immediate experiences. Staff help children to relish story times, listen attentively, and understand the plot and characters.
• Staff very strongly promote children's expressive and creative skills. Children learn to love songs and rhymes. For example, children pay great attention to the tone, rhythm and clarity in response to staff's musical skills. Children develop very effective skills to support their creativity. For example, they colour and cut with great accuracy and imagination as they create pictures, maps and flags for their pretend holiday destinations.
• Staff effectively help children to develop their well-being and an appreciation of a healthy lifestyle. Parents comment on the care and support which they receive to help children's toilet training and personal hygiene. Staff engage children in growing radishes, potatoes and other crops that they can harvest and use in food preparation at nursery and home.
• Staff support children's personal development very effectively. They understand children's emotional needs very well. Staff help children to express and manage their feelings and work closely with parents to help children modify their behaviour at home. They enrich children's social experiences through carefully planned visits from members of the local community, staff and parents to share their interests and cultures.
• Parents very strongly recommend the nursery. They comment on the warmth and deep understanding which staff have of their children. Parents appreciate the excellent range of frequent information that they receive to help children learn at home and to prepare them for starting school.