Stanhope Day Nursery Ltd

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

When younger children arrive, they smile at staff as they are greeted at the door and confidently separate from their parents. When children go to staff with open arms, indicating they need a cuddle and comfort, they receive this from staff. This shows that children feel safe and secure in staff's care. Children show a willingness to help staff to maintain a safe environment. For example, younger children listen to and follow instructions when staff ask them to help tidy away toys. This includes children helping staff to roll rugs and remove them from the floor before lunchtime.

Children learn how to use natural materials in different ways. For instance, younger children use sticks outdoors to bang on musical instruments, listening to the different sounds they make. Older children are supported to develop their understanding of numbers and counting. When children count objects incorrectly, staff ask them to count again with them, helping children to identify the correct number of objects. Children are supported to have a positive attitude in their play and to complete tasks themselves. For example, when younger children use bricks to build and construct and they drop one, staff ask them if they can pick it up and give them time and praise when they do this. Children then continue their play and learn how to manage their own needs.

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

• Staff implement a curriculum that helps children to build on what they already know. This includes helping children to develop their self-care skills and independence. For example, at mealtimes, babies are offered spoons and are supported by staff to begin to feed themselves. Younger children receive hand-over-hand support from staff to use a fork and spoon to eat their lunch. Older children use knives and forks confidently by themselves.
• Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are supported well by staff. Close working relationships between staff, parents and other professionals help to identify targets that staff implement to help meet children's individual needs. This includes showing children objects, such as a nappy, to help them understand what will happen next. This contributes to promoting children's emotional well-being.
• Staff help children to understand how to show positive behaviour. For example, younger children are asked to wait their turn before they go outdoors and are supported by staff as they move down the steps safely. Staff support children to learn how to share. Children take it in turns to pick objects out of a bucket during planned activities.
• Parents say that they appreciate the debrief they receive from staff at the end of the day about their chidlren's care routines and learning. Staff offer parents ideas and suggestions about how they can continue their child's learning at home, such as to cook healthy foods with their children.
• Staff hold conversations with older children to encourage them to express their thoughts and views. However, occasionally, staff do not support children's early speaking skills as effectively. For example, staff do not model how to say some words correctly. This results in children repeating the incorrect words they use.
• Children have daily opportunities to brush their teeth. Staff provide children with their own toothbrushes and implement set times during the day for children to brush their teeth. This contributes to promoting good oral hygiene.
• Staff help children to learn about their own and others' cultures and traditions. For example, they help children to make badges from ribbons, which originates from a Hungarian tradition. Children are offered foods to taste from countries around the world. However, staff do not support children who speak English as an additional language as effectively with their language development. For example, staff do not gather and use key words in the children's home language when they communicate with them.
• Staff attend supervision meetings with the management team to help them reflect on their practice. Staff attend training courses that help to develop their knowledge of how to support children with anxieties. For example, staff provide children with a quiet space when they arrive if they become overwhelmed with the noise in the playroom. This contributes to helping children settle.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• strengthen opportunities for children to build on their early speaking skills
• support children who speak English as an additional language more effectively with their language development.