Step by step children's nursery Ltd

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Staff are enthusiastic as they welcome children into the setting. The caring interactions of staff helps children to settle quickly. Staff effectively support all children to make good progress in their learning, including children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. They place a high priority on children's emotional security. Staff show genuine care and affection for children and respond sensitively when children need more support.

Staff have clear expectations for children's behaviour, and they model this well. They listen to what children have to say. All children, particularly younger children, are given time to process instructions. This allows them to contribute their own thoughts and opinions. Staff support children to be curious in their play. For example, children become excited when finding worms in the soil. Staff use this time to encourage children to think about the characteristics of other small creatures. They learn that insects have six legs and worms live underground. Staff remind children to always be kind and gently replace creatures where they have found them.

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 positively nurture the children in their care and recognise that each child is unique.

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

• Leaders regularly review all aspects of the provision. They have a good understanding of the setting's strengths and areas that need development. Staff feedback that the nursery is a 'wonderful place to work'. They feel that leaders are supportive and are invested in their well-being. Leaders value the importance of working in partnership with parents. Staff work closely with parents and ensure that children who need additional support are given a targeted programme which allows them to make progress in their learning.
• Staff effectively support children's communication and language development. They model language well as they engage in conversations with children. Staff make use of visual cues to reinforce vocabulary for those children who are not yet speaking. Children engage in rhymes and stories throughout the day. Staff explore sounds with children. For example, younger children join in making animal sounds as they discover farm animals in a box. Older children contribute their thoughts when staff read stories to them.
• Staff know each child well and they use this knowledge to provide a broad and balanced range of activities. However, staff do not always plan all aspects of the curriculum in a well-sequenced way. For example, they provide children with regular access to paint and sensory activities. Children enjoy the opportunities to express themselves creatively but staff do not fully consider how to introduce new ideas or teaching to extend children's skills. Consequently, some planned activities do not consistently build on what children know and need to know next.
• Children learn about healthy lifestyles. Staff provide them with opportunities to develop their physical skills. They plan environments that encourage children to be physically active. Children develop their core muscles as they confidently climb, run and jump in the garden. They negotiate space as they use ride-on toys. Staff teach children how to propel themselves forward using their feet. Children are provided with a nutritious home-cooked meal and take part in activities to encourage good oral health.
• Staff provide opportunities for children to develop their independence through daily routines. For example, older children use a tray to collect their plates and food. They pour their own drinks. Younger children are given support in practising tasks, such as putting on coats and taking shoes off. Children of all ages show high levels of independence in their play, confidently choosing activities and taking a lead in their own learning. These experiences help to equip children with the abilities needed to enable them to thrive in the next phase of their learning, such as going to school.
• Staff provide a rich set of opportunities that help children to learn about people, families and communities beyond their own experience. Children have very regular day trips in the nursery's minibus. They learn about the natural world as they experience watching chicks hatching from eggs. Staff take children to visit elderly residents of a local care home. This helps children to learn that not all disabilities can be seen and helps them to develop empathy for others.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support all staff to plan more precisely for what they want children to learn and to understand how to reflect this in the delivery of the curriculum.