Stephen Perse Nurseries - Dame Bradbury's

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children experience a broad range of learning opportunities, helping them to develop skills and make progress in all areas. Children are curious to explore the resources and show good levels of engagement. There is a focus on developing children's critical thinking skills and independent learning. For example, children confidently look inside baskets to find the tools they could use to flatten and cut play dough. Toddlers demonstrate high levels of persistence to find the correct wooden shapes to complete puzzles.

Children of all ages are happy and engage confidently with staff and other children. They form strong attachments with staff. This helps children feel safe and secure. Children's behaviour is good. They are polite, sociable and share the resources well. Children listen to staff and respond appropriately.

Children have many opportunities to be physically active. In the outside area, they peddle the bikes and scooters enthusiastically around a track, showing good control. Babies and toddlers develop strength and coordination as they freely move around the room. Babies learning to walk use low-level furniture to pull themselves up to a standing position. Children regularly attend a forest school on site where they play and explore as they learn about nature and the environment.

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

• The leadership team have a clear and ambitious vision. They plan a broad curriculum to encourage children to become critical thinkers and independent learners. The leadership team monitor and track the progress and development of every child. They evaluate the provision and are committed to implement any improvements to maintain a high-quality provision.
• Staff use information provided by parents and their own observations to establish what children already know and can do. They talk confidently about what children need to learn next and how they plan activities to support children to make good progress.
• Before children start, settling-in sessions are arranged and are tailored to help meet children's individual needs. The key-person system is firmly embedded and key people form relationships with children's parents from the start. As a result, staff know children and families well.
• Children develop a love of books and reading. They visit the school library and sit under the overhanging branches of 'the tree of knowledge'. Children listen intently as staff read to them in the calm and inspirational space. Children curiously look through the good selection of appropriate books on display before selecting a book to take home.
• Children have daily opportunities to enjoy songs and rhymes. They enthusiastically join in with familiar songs. Some children show confidence to sing by themselves. Children watch staff intently as they model the actions. Children have great fun as they imitate staff and make their fingers into the 'hedgehogs' and 'spiders' that feature in the song.
• Children's independence is supported well. For example, older children confidently toilet themselves and wash their hands. Staff encourage them to change their shoes to wellies and put on their own coats for outdoor play. Babies and toddlers flourish in the nursery. They benefit from high-quality interactions from staff in a calm and nurturing environment.
• The nursery chef provides children with freshly cooked, home-made meals and snacks every day. This helps to ensure they have a healthy and well-balanced diet. Children sit together at mealtimes, demonstrating good social skills and table manners.
• Staff attend supervision meetings and appraisals. The leadership team arrange regular staff training. Staff say they feel valued and supported. However, leaders do not consistently provide staff with incisive feedback to ensure they understand how to improve their knowledge and skills to the highest level.
• Parents are highly complimentary about the nursery and staff. They say they feel well informed about their child's progress and what they need to learn next. Parents value the daily feedback provided by staff when they collect their children. They appreciate the information staff share with them to help support children's learning at home.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• provide staff with incisive feedback to enable them to improve their knowledge and skills to the highest level.