Step Start Nurseries Fyfield

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are happy in this child-focused, nurturing nursery. They are eager to explore an impressive range of activities and authentic resources that enable them to recall real-life experiences through their play. Staff are committed to supporting all children to reach their full potential. They identify and consistently review what children need to learn next so that they learn through a sequenced approach. Babies have plenty of opportunities to explore using their senses. Staff respond to their curiosity by showing them how to make swirls in sand on the floor. This motivates babies to copy this action and discover how the sand falls as they reach up and sprinkle it. Younger children collect natural items and mix them in a saucepan in the mud kitchen. Staff interactions enhance children's imagination and expand their vocabulary. They show them how to turn a tap left and right and introduce them to words, such as 'ingredients', and their meaning. Older children learn to solve mathematical problems. Staff teach them about quantities, size and weight. This challenges their critical thinking as they make comparisons and predictions.

Staff have high expectations for all children. They teach them important skills, such as how to respect other's space when lining up and to walk sensibly from the outdoor area to their rooms. Children learn about cultural festivals, such as Hanukkah. Staff support them to safely light eight candles and teach them how each one symbolises hope, faith and the miracle of light.

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

• All children are active and develop strong physical skills. They enjoy the inviting main outdoor area. On occasion, children of all ages mix together to help them build social skills in larger groups and form positive relationships with all staff. Babies develop strength and spatial awareness as they carefully navigate the environment. Younger children quickly gain confidence in their abilities as staff provide safe and challenging activities, such as climbing large blocks and jumping onto a soft mat. Staff praise their achievements and children respond with pride, saying, 'I did it myself.'
• Leaders are reflective and committed to supporting staff's professional development. They regularly observe staff practice and provide meaningful feedback. Training is targeted at the individual needs of staff. New knowledge is shared with the whole team to support a consistent approach. Leaders prioritise staff well-being and take steps to reduce any unnecessary workload.
• Children benefit from well-balanced and nutritional meals, where staff implement robust measures to manage any food allergies or preferences. However, daily routines such as transition times for younger children before and during lunch are not always well organised. For instance, children sit at tables and wait too long for staff to offer them their full meal, so they can serve themselves. Therefore, these children are not always engaged in meaningful learning.
• Partnerships with parents are a strength of the nursery. There is effective two-way communication between staff and parents. Staff share updates on children's achievements and ideas to support learning at home through an online platform and in daily conversations. Parents are warmly welcomed to parent meetings held at the weekend to help accommodate the needs of working parents. Parents describe staff as 'amazing' and 'professional' and appreciate the calm environment staff provide for their children.
• Staff implement a school readiness programme that naturally builds on the ambitious child-led curriculum that inspires children to be inquisitive learners in a rich, enabling environment. This equips older children with key life skills and fosters independence. Children confidently manage personal needs, take on responsibilities and develop a love of literacy through activities, such as the 'letter of the week'. They share items from home and explore early phonics. Children show a love of books. They are appropriately challenged to write their name and familiar words.
• Staff make best use of information from parents to help children swiftly settle and follow their individual routines. Babies receive warm, nurturing cuddles to help them drift off to sleep, while older children show awareness of their own need to rest after lunch. Staff diligently monitor all children as they sleep to ensure their safety. However, for older children who do not sleep and prefer learning outdoors, staff do not utilise the adjoining outdoor area at this time to reduce disruption for those who are resting.
• Children's behaviour is appropriate for their age and stage of development. Staff manage minor disagreements calmly and with sensitivity. Babies learn to take turns to push the buttons on a popular toy, younger children begin to form friendships and older children learn to regulate their behaviour. They listen to each other's ideas, enabling them to resume their play harmoniously.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• refine the organisation of transition times for younger children, particularly before and during lunch, to minimise waiting time for children
• make the most of the outdoor area for older children to fully support those children who prefer to learn outdoors and minimise disturbing children who are resting.