Stanley's at Ridgeway

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children thrive in this caring and friendly nursery. Staff are highly dedicated to providing the best possible care and support to children. Children settle quickly when they first start and thoroughly enjoy their time in the nursery. They demonstrate this as they arrive in the nursery and swiftly choose activities to play with. Staff place a high priority on keeping children safe. Doors into the nursery are secure. Staff are vigilant and mop up any spilt water or sand. Children know they must sit at the table to eat.

The curriculum is ambitious and exceptionally well structured. Staff have thought carefully about the skills they want children to learn and the order in which they will learn them. Staff have a very clear focus on the intended learning, and this is embedded into their teaching. For example, they plan the individual words they want children to learn and incorporate this into sand play. Children behave exceptionally well for their age. They listen to instructions carefully. Staff use a range of strategies, such as distraction, to ensure children remain focused and listen intently. They teach children how to share and take turns, initially with adults and then reinforcing with children. This means that when minor disagreements occur, children respond swiftly when staff remind them that their friend needs a turn.

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

• Leaders use funding exceptionally well to help children make the best possible progress. Training for staff in communication and language has helped children to make excellent progress in this area. Leaders also organise visits in the local area, such as to local play centres and libraries, to give children experiences that they would not normally have.
• Professional development is clearly focused on raising the quality of teaching and learning to an even higher level. Recent training has included a training package to support children's physical development. Leaders and staff have implemented key messages to help children to develop their shoulder and elbow muscles. For example, they plan activities for children to draw as they sing along to action songs. Children are highly engaged as they learn how to manipulate pencils to make large circular and up and down movements.
• Children develop superb attitudes to learning. Staff plan activities to excite and enthuse children. Children are highly engaged as they catch and pull stretchy fabric as a group and release it. Staff use songs as they play with the fabric to teach children key vocabulary and mathematical concepts, such as 'under', 'forwards' and 'backwards'. Children begin to learn about musical concepts such as 'fast' and 'slow' and 'loud' and 'quiet'.
• Staff place a high priority on developing children's communication and language.
• Staff use singing and rhymes throughout the session because they recognise that it introduces children to new vocabulary in a relaxed way. They plan key vocabulary that they want to teach and use books and songs to reinforce this. Children make excellent progress in their communication and language.
• Children develop their independence. Staff teach children how to do things for themselves. For example, two-year-old children roll their sleeves up ready to wash their hands and learn to pour milk and water into their cups.
• Staff teach children about healthy lifestyles. They focus on dental hygiene to help children to understand how to look after their teeth. Staff make excellent use of opportunities to discuss and reinforce the importance of washing hands. Two-year-old children know they need to wash their hands prior to eating their snack.
• Leaders and staff work exceptionally well with parents. From the moment they meet children and their families, staff work tirelessly to provide advice and support to parents. Parents value that staff really listen to them and find out how they can help children. Parents value the workshops and tips staff give them on various aspects, such as behaviour management or developing children's mathematics. This helps children to make rapid progress.
• All children make excellent progress. Leaders and staff are very knowledgeable and go above and beyond to meet children's individual needs. They look at adaptations they can make and training they can access to support children effectively. They work incredibly well with a range of professionals to help children to make the best possible progress.
• Managers support staff exceptionally well. Staff talk about the support they receive on a personal and professional level. They appreciate the time that they are given to complete any tasks. They comment that they enjoy coming to work and feel that they can talk to managers about anything.